An experimental feature of Release 8.2, you can now use ODS to generate a CSV (Comma Separated Variable) file on the z/OS platform. Once generated, you can import the file into any PC-based application that understands CSV files, including all the major spreadsheet packages.

In this example, a SAS program running on z/OS generates a CSV file from a PROC PRINT and writes it to a PC file. Once on the PC, it is accessed as a CSV file by a standard spreadsheet program.

The keys to this example are the Output Delivery System and the FTP access method:

• the FILENAME statement specifies that myfile is written with the FTP access method.
  
• the ODS statement directs the PROC step output to myfile.

To run this example, you need to provide the PC filename, the PC target directory, the target PC's hostid and its userid. These parameters are highlighted in red. The option prompt generates a prompt for the desktop password. You can substitute pass='xxxx' for prompt to specify the password explicitly.
 

ods listing close;

/* --------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------- */

filename myfile ftp
'shoes.csv'
cd= 'c:\pcdir\'
host= 'mypcid.mycompany.com'
user= 'userid'
prompt
recfm=s
debug;

/* --------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------- */

ods csv file = myfile
trantab=ascii;

proc print data=sashelp.shoes;
where region="Canada";
run;

ods csv close;

ods listing;

quit;