The EXPORT procedure writes out a comma for the first variable name on the first row of the external file even though the first variable name is listed in the DROP= data set option. The erroneous comma is written out only to the first row of the external file.

The example code below replicates the problem:

proc export data=sashelp.class(drop=name)
     outfile = 'c:\class.csv' dbms=csv replace;
   putnames=yes;
run;

A snippet of the external file CLASS.CSV is shown below. This illustrates the erroneous comma at the beginning of the first row when the variable Name is listed in the DROP= data set option:

,Sex,Age,Height,Weight
M,14,69,112.5
F,13,56.5,84
F,13,65.3,98
F,14,62.8,102.5

If other variables in the SAS^® data set are listed in the DROP= data set option, the variable names on the first row of the external file are correct. The problem occurs only when you drop the first variable in the SAS data set.

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