Your SAS session might generate a "Read Access Violation" error or terminate abnormally when you use a numeric suffix list that references a large number of data sets in the DATA= option of PROC DELETE.  Click the Results tab to see an example of the errors that are written to the SAS log.

Click the Full Code tab to see sample code that reproduces the problem.

Choose one of the following methods to circumvent this issue:

• Use the numeric suffix list with PROC DATASETS code.  For example:  
    
  proc datasets lib=work nolist; 
     delete test1-test15;
  run;
  quit; 
   

• Use a macro DO LOOP to submit the PROC DELETE statement. See the example code below.
  
  %macro deletedat(n);
     %do i=1 %to &n;
        proc delete data=test&i;
        run; 
     %end;
  %mend;
  
  %deletedat(18);

Operating System and Release Information

Product Family	Product	System	SAS Release
			Reported	Fixed*
SAS System	Base SAS	64-bit Enabled Solaris	9.4 TS1M2
		64-bit Enabled AIX	9.4 TS1M2
		Windows 7 Ultimate x64	9.4 TS1M2
		Windows 7 Ultimate 32 bit	9.4 TS1M2
		Windows 7 Professional x64	9.4 TS1M2
		Windows 7 Professional 32 bit	9.4 TS1M2
		Windows 7 Home Premium x64	9.4 TS1M2
		Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit	9.4 TS1M2
		Windows 7 Enterprise x64	9.4 TS1M2
		Windows 7 Enterprise 32 bit	9.4 TS1M2
		Microsoft Windows Server 2012 Std	9.4 TS1M2
		Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 Std	9.4 TS1M2
		Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter	9.4 TS1M2
		Microsoft Windows Server 2012 Datacenter	9.4 TS1M2
		Microsoft Windows Server 2008 for x64	9.4 TS1M2
		Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2	9.4 TS1M2
		Microsoft Windows Server 2008	9.4 TS1M2
		Microsoft Windows 10	9.4 TS1M2
		Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro x64	9.4 TS1M2
		Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro 32-bit	9.4 TS1M2
		Microsoft Windows 8.1 Enterprise x64	9.4 TS1M2
		Microsoft Windows 8.1 Enterprise 32-bit	9.4 TS1M2
		Microsoft Windows 8 Pro x64	9.4 TS1M2
		Microsoft Windows 8 Pro 32-bit	9.4 TS1M2
		Microsoft Windows 8 Enterprise x64	9.4 TS1M2
		Microsoft Windows 8 Enterprise 32-bit	9.4 TS1M2
		Microsoft® Windows® for x64	9.4 TS1M2
		z/OS 64-bit	9.4 TS1M2
		z/OS	9.4 TS1M2
		HP-UX IPF	9.4 TS1M2
		Linux for x64	9.4 TS1M2
		Solaris for x64	9.4 TS1M2

* For software releases that are not yet generally available, the Fixed Release is the software release in which the problem is planned to be fixed.

The sample PROC DELETE code below generates an error.

---

/* Create sample data */
%macro CreateMembers(n);
   %do i=1 %to &n;
      data test&i.;
         x=&i;
      run;
   %end;
%mend;

%CreateMembers(18);

/* Use a numeric suffix list to remove the Test data sets */
proc delete data=test1-test18;
run;

The numeric suffix list feature in PROC DELETE is used to remove a range of data sets without having to list them by name. Specifying more than fourteen data sets can cause your SAS session to fail with a "Read Access Violation" error or terminate abnormally.

Type:	Problem Note
Priority:	medium
Topic:	Data Management ==> Access ==> SAS I/O Data Management ==> Data Sources ==> SAS Data Sets/Tables

Date Modified:	2017-01-23 16:01:09
Date Created:	2017-01-17 17:39:44