Observations and Variables: SAS 9.3 and SAS 8 Differences

More observations and variables are supported in SAS 9.3 than in SAS 8.

For example:

To resolve differences between the number of observations and variables that are supported in a cross-version environment, SAS/SHARE will support the older version. For example, a SAS 9.3 server will not present more variables or observations to a SAS 8 client than the client is capable of accessing. Conversely, SAS 8 clients might not be able to access all the variables or observations in SAS files that are on a SAS/SHARE 9.3 server.

The maximum number of variables that can be defined in a SAS data set and accessed by a SAS/SHARE client varies according to the SAS version that is used. The number of variables that can be defined and accessed in a data set is greater in SAS 9.3 than in SAS 8.

Consequently, a SAS/SHARE 9.3 client can access all the variables in a SAS 9.3 data set that is on a SAS 9.3 server. Also, a SAS/SHARE 8 client can access all the variables in a SAS 8 data set that is on a SAS 8 server. However, a SAS/SHARE 8 client can access only a maximum of 32,767 variables in a SAS 9.3 data set that is on a SAS/SHARE 9.3 server. Attempts to exceed this limit will result in failure.

The number of observations in a file is a consideration only if a SAS 8 client must access observations by number (for example, if the POINT= option in the SET statement is used). A SAS 8 SAS client that reads through a SAS file sequentially is not limited by the number of observations in the file.

A SAS 9.3 client that accesses SAS files on a SAS 8 server can randomly access any observation.