The following error can occur when you create a compressed SAS data set from an empty hash object with the OUTPUT method:

  ERROR: An error has occurred during instance method OM_OUTPUT(505)
         of "DATASTEP.HASH".

This is a subset of the problem reported in Problem Note 17149: "OM_OUTPUT(505) error occurs creating compressed data set with OUTPUT method."

The workaround is to specify COMPRESS=NO for the duration of the DATA step.

Operating System and Release Information

%*--  create empty / non-empty test data.  ; 
data WORK.hash1; 
  AVar1 = 42; 
run; 
data WORK.hash0; 
  set WORK.hash1(obs=0); 
run; 

%*--  fix it... set to NO, break it with YES  ; 
option compress=YES; 

%*--  do something.  ; 
data _null_; 
  set WORK.hash1 end=last; 
  call missing (AVar1); 
  if _n_ eq 1 then do; 
    dcl hash hDUMMY (dataset: 'WORK.hash0'); 
    hDUMMY.DefineKey ('AVar1'); 
    hDUMMY.DefineData ('AVar1'); 
    hDUMMY.DefineDone(); 
  end; 
  if last then do; 
    put 'NOTE: ***** PUTTING *****'; 
    hDUMMY.output (dataset: 'WORK.testSet'); 
  end; 
run; 

2    
3    %*--  create empty / non-empty test data.  ;
4    data WORK.hash1;
5      AVar1 = 42;
6    run;

NOTE: The data set WORK.HASH1 has 1 observations and 1 variables.
NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):
      real time           0.05 seconds
      cpu time            0.01 seconds
      

7    data WORK.hash0;
8      set WORK.hash1(obs=0);
9    run;

NOTE: There were 0 observations read from the data set WORK.HASH1.
NOTE: The data set WORK.HASH0 has 0 observations and 1 variables.
NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):
      real time           0.01 seconds
      cpu time            0.00 seconds
      

10   
11   %*--  fix it... set to NO, break it with YES  ;
12   option compress=NO;
13   
14   %*--  do something.  ;
15   data _null_;
16     set WORK.hash1 end=last;
17     call missing (AVar1);
18     if _n_ eq 1 then do;
19       dcl hash hDUMMY (dataset: 'WORK.hash0');
20       hDUMMY.DefineKey ('AVar1');
21       hDUMMY.DefineData ('AVar1');
22       hDUMMY.DefineDone();
23     end;
24     if last then do;
25       put 'NOTE: ***** PUTTING *****';
26       hDUMMY.output (dataset: 'WORK.testSet');
27     end;
28   run;

NOTE: There were 0 observations read from the data set WORK.HASH0.
NOTE: ***** PUTTING *****
NOTE: The data set WORK.TESTSET has 0 observations and 1 variables.
NOTE: There were 1 observations read from the data set WORK.HASH1.
NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):
      real time           0.08 seconds
      cpu time            0.02 seconds
      

29   /* t334393.sas */
30   
31   %*--  create empty / non-empty test data.  ;
32   data WORK.hash1;
33     AVar1 = 42;
34   run;

NOTE: The data set WORK.HASH1 has 1 observations and 1 variables.
NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):
      real time           0.02 seconds
      cpu time            0.00 seconds
      

35   data WORK.hash0;
36     set WORK.hash1(obs=0);
37   run;

NOTE: There were 0 observations read from the data set WORK.HASH1.
NOTE: The data set WORK.HASH0 has 0 observations and 1 variables.
NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):
      real time           0.02 seconds
      cpu time            0.02 seconds
      

38   
39   %*--  fix it... set to NO, break it with YES  ;
40   option compress=yes;
41   
42   %*--  do something.  ;
43   data _null_;
44     set WORK.hash1 end=last;
45     call missing (AVar1);
46     if _n_ eq 1 then do;
47       dcl hash hDUMMY (dataset: 'WORK.hash0');
48       hDUMMY.DefineKey ('AVar1');
49       hDUMMY.DefineData ('AVar1');
50       hDUMMY.DefineDone();
51     end;
52     if last then do;
53       put 'NOTE: ***** PUTTING *****';
54       hDUMMY.output (dataset: 'WORK.testSet');
55     end;
56   run;

NOTE: There were 0 observations read from the data set WORK.HASH0.
NOTE: ***** PUTTING *****
NOTE: Compression was disabled for data set WORK.TESTSET because compression overhead would increase the size of the data set.
NOTE: The data set WORK.TESTSET has 0 observations and 1 variables.
ERROR: An error has occurred during instance method OM_OUTPUT(505) of "DATASTEP.HASH".
NOTE: The SAS System stopped processing this step because of errors.
NOTE: There were 1 observations read from the data set WORK.HASH1.
NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):
      real time           0.09 seconds
      cpu time            0.00 seconds