About the Import Data Features :: SAS(R) Visual Data Builder 6.2: User's Guide

Why Use the Import Data Features?

The import data features enable you to perform self-service, ad hoc data analysis. You can take a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, delimited text file, or SAS data set from your desktop and transfer it to SAS LASR Analytic Server. Or, you can add the data as a SAS data set, a database table, or SAS Data in HDFS table.

If you have SAS data sets that are stored remotely with a SAS Application Server, you can load them to memory on SAS LASR Analytic Server.

The imported data can be used to enrich existing data that is already available in your SAS deployment. You can import data directly to memory on a SAS LASR Analytic Server.

What is Local Data and Remote Data?

To understand the difference between local data and remote data, consider the following:

local data

is available from the file systems on your desktop. This includes local file systems such as C:\ on Windows machines and paths such as /home/$USER on UNIX machines. Network file systems and shares are also included, such as UNC paths like \\nas\spreadsheets.

remote data

is not available from the file systems on your desktop. You can direct the SAS Application Server to access the data that is available through file systems on the remote machine.

Default Values

The import data features for both local data and remote data are configured with default values to load data to SAS LASR Analytic Server.

If you want to use a library other than the default SAS LASR Analytic Server library, you can specify different values in the Advanced section of the import windows. You can specify a different SAS LASR Analytic Server library, a different library type (for imported local data only, imported remote data is restricted to SAS LASR Analytic Server libraries), and a different location for the table.

Importing Large Local Data Files

When you import local data (spreadsheets, SAS data sets, or delimited text files), memory on the client PC is used to access the data files. For data files that are larger than 1G, make sure that the client machine meets the following requirements:

The client machine should have at least 4G RAM. 8G is recommended.
The client machine should use a 64-bit web browser and Adobe Flash Player.

Note: For a list of supported browsers, see http://support.sas.com/resources/thirdpartysupport/v94/browsers.html.

When using a 64-bit web browser and Adobe Flash Player, the theoretical limit for importing local data files is 2G.

Note: Be aware that importing large local data files can require a long time to transfer and process the data. A progress indicator is provided to help you track the import.

Working with Spreadsheets

Appending Worksheets

When you import a spreadsheet (from your PC) that has multiple worksheets, you must specify how to handle the worksheets.

Append all of the worksheets into a single table.
Create a table for each worksheet.

Tip

When you append all of the worksheets into a single table, the default output table name is the same as the filename for the spreadsheet. You can specify a different name.

Keep in mind the following considerations:

If the worksheets are appended, it is better if the worksheets have the same number of columns. If the number of columns differs, then the table is created with the greatest number of columns.
When you clear the Append worksheets together check box, a table is created for each worksheet and the table is named based on the following pattern:

filename_worksheet-name

You can specify a different name for the filename.

Special Characters and Missing Values

When you import a spreadsheet that uses special characters or has missing values, keep in mind the following considerations:

If the filename or worksheet names use special characters, the import can fail.

Tip
Table names are restricted by the VALIDMEMNAME= SAS system option. Column names are restricted by the VALIDVARNAME= SAS system option.
If a column has no values, it is skipped during the import process.
If a row has missing values, but the cells are formatted (for example, Text), the import can introduce an error. The data builder combines the row with missing values with values from the following row. You can avoid this problem by formatting the cells as General.

Pivot Tables

Importing pivot tables is not supported.