When reading an external file into a SAS data set, the INFILE statement defines the file to be read as well as various options about how to read the file. The DSD option specifies that when data values are enclosed in quotation marks, delimiters within the value are treated as character data. The DSD option changes how SAS treats delimiters when you use LIST input and sets the default delimiter to a comma. When you specify DSD, SAS treats two consecutive delimiters as a missing value and removes quotation marks from character values. The DLMSTR option specifies a character string as an alternate delimiter (other than a blank) to be used for LIST input.

The DSD and DLMSTR options in the INFILE statement are not correctly handling consecutive delimiters.

When you use the DSD and DLMSTR= options in the INFILE statement, you would expect consecutive delimiters to create a missing value. Currently, this is not behaving as it should. If your variables are character, you will get a missing value, but the value following will contain a portion of the delimiter. If your variables are numeric, the consecutive delimiters are ignored.

Refer to SAS Note 33385, "DLMSTR= option used to specify multi-character string as a delimiter", for more information about handling multiple delimiters when reading a file.

Operating System and Release Information

data one;
infile cards dlmstr='||' dsd;
  input a $ b $  c $ ;
  /* input a b c; */
cards;
123||||4
;
run;
proc print; 
run;

If your variables are numeric, your output will be: 

 Obs     a     b    c

  1     123    .    .

If your varialbes are character, your output will be: 


 Obs     a     b    c

  1     123         |4