A SAS transport file can be created with any of the following:

• PROC COPY or a DATA step with the XPORT engine (transport files created with PROC COPY and the XPORT engine are sometimes referred to as V5 transport files)
• PROC CPORT
• The Autocall macro LOC2XPT (transport files created with the macro are referred to as V8 transport files)

If the creation method of a transport file is unknown, you can use the following method to determine how the file was created.

Run the following DATA step code:

filename tranfile 'physical_storage_location';
data _null_;
   infile tranfile obs=5;
   input theline $ascii80. ;
   put theline;
run;

Note: Operating system commands, such as the following DOS command, can be used to open the file or the file can be opened in Notepad:

c:> type c:\tranfile.dat | more

When you check your SAS log (or your screen if you are using the DOS command or Notepad), you will see one of the following:

• If the first line of the display contains LIBRARY HEADER RECORD, the transport file was created by the XPORT engine using PROC COPY or the DATA step. For example:

  HEADER RECORD*******LIBRARY HEADER RECORD!!!!!!!0000000000000000000000000
  

• If you see LIBV8 HEADER RECORD as shown below, the transport file was created by the Autocall macro LOC2XPT.

  HEADER RECORD*******LIBV8   HEADER RECORD!!!!!!!0000000000000000000000000
  

• If you see a **COMPRESSED** line as shown below, the transport file was created by the CPORT procedure.

  **COMPRESSED** **COMPRESSED** **COMPRESSED** **COMPRESSED** **COMPRESSED*
  

Now that you have determined the method that was used to create the transport file, use a compatible strategy to read the transport file and write it back out to a SAS data set. In the order in which these are discussed, compatible strategies for reading the transport file are:

• PROC COPY or the DATA step with the XPORT engine
• The Autocall macro LOC2XPT
• PROC CIMPORT

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