You might receive the message "Unknown data item" when you edit a calculated item. For example, you encounter this issue if you complete steps similar to the following:

1. Create a new SAS Visual Analytics report based on a data source that contains a category data item called Origin.
2. Add a new calculated item and save it with the name Origin (exactly the same name of the category data item that already exists in the data source). Then, you will have two data items with the same name in the same data source: a category data item and a calculated item.
3. Add the following formula:

The calculated item is saved correctly, and you can display it in the Data pane. However, if you try to edit it, you can see that the name of the category data item in the formula Origin has been replaced with the name Origin1. This behavior causes the following error to occur if you perform any change in the calculated item and try to save it:

To work around this error, complete these steps:

1. Create a copy of the category data item Origin and name it Origin_copy.
2. When creating the calculated item, use the category data item Origin_copy within the formula instead of Origin. In this way, the calculated item called Origin is based on a copy of the Origin category data item and this prevents the issue from occurring.

Click the Hot Fix tab in this note for a link to instructions about accessing and applying the software update.

Operating System and Release Information

Viya on Windows: An update for this issue is available for SAS Viya 3.5. For instructions on how to access and apply software updates, see the Updating Your SAS Viya software section in the SAS Viya 3.5 for Windows Deployment Guide at

Viya on Linux: An update for this issue is available for SAS Viya 3.5. For instructions on how to access and apply software updates, see the Updating Your SAS Viya software section in the SAS Viya 3.5 for Linux Deployment Guide at