SAS 9.1.3 Service Pack 3 includes the new functionality of accessing
(reading/writing/updating) PC files without the requirement of running
a PC File Server where the PC files reside.  With this new technology,
you should be able to use PROC IMPORT and PROC EXPORT to work with Excel
files on all supported Unix hosts without having to go through a PC File
Server.  If you wish to access PC files (i.e. .xls files) that reside on
the PC from Unix without the use of the PC File Server, the files should
reside or should be able to be accessed from the Unix Server by a Samba
drive, network mounted drive or something similar.

This has also been implemented on Windows and will not cause a collision
with current support for Excel though the IMPORT/EXPORT procedures since
the syntax for the new product will use DBMS=XLS instead of DBMS=EXCEL.

The documentation for the new syntax is available in the ONLINE
documentation and was updated when Service Pack 4 was shipped.  Refer
to the BASE SAS, PROC IMPORT and EXPORT documentation for the details
on using this new functionality (i.e. DBMS=XLS)

Listed below are items to assist in clarifying SAS/ACCESS Interface to
PC File Formats support.

  1) Native SAS 9.1.3, SAS/ACCESS Interface to PC File Formats, require
     that the PC files reside on the PC and accessed through a PC File
     Server.

  2) Using releases prior to SAS 9.1.3 Service Pack 3, in order to be
     able to create XLS files on Unix you would be referenced to the
     following SUGI paper.  The second link is a link to a FAQ
     regarding using ODS to create XLS files.

       http://www2.sas.com/proceedings/sugi28/012-28.pdf
        #23664 

  3) SAS 9.1.3 Service Pack 3 and later, currently supports PROC EXPORT
     and PROC IMPORT to access/read/write Excel workbooks in Unix
     (without a PC FileServer).  This is new technology.


NOTE:  This functionality was added with PROC IMPORT and EXPORT.  It
       is not currently available with the LIBNAME ACCESS engine for
       PC files.

Operating System and Release Information