Problem Note 7025: Memory overlay possible with $CHARw., $ASCIIw., and $EBCDICw. informats
and character variable length mismatch
Beginning in Release 8.2 TSLEVEL 2M0, a DATA step in which a character
variable defined with a given length is subsequently read with a
$CHARw., $ASCIIw., or $EBCDICw. informat (typically in an INPUT
function) which specifies a different length may cause a memory
overlay. The memory overlay may cause an S0C4 abend for sites running
on OS/390 platforms. Other platforms may experience a SEGMENTATION
VIOLATION, or other abnormal termination.
For example:
DATA _NULL_;
BANKDESC='** ALL ELIGIBLE BANKS **';
OUTPUT;
BANKDESC=INPUT('PHIL. HOUSE ACCOUNTS',$CHAR40.);
OUTPUT;
RUN;
may cause the failure.
To prevent the abend, specify OPTIONS DSOPTIONS='NOINLINEPIF'; prior
to the DATA step.
This problem is corrected beginning in SAS 9.
A Technical Support hot fix for Release 8.2 TSLEVEL TS2M0 for this
issue is available at:
http://www.sas.com/techsup/download/hotfix/82_sbcs_prod_list.html#007025
Operating System and Release Information
| SAS System | Base SAS | Windows Millennium Edition (Me) | 8.2 TS2M0 | |
| Microsoft Windows 95/98 | 8.2 TS2M0 | |
| Microsoft Windows NT Workstation | 8.2 TS2M0 | 9 TS M0 |
| Microsoft Windows 2000 Server | 8.2 TS2M0 | 9 TS M0 |
| Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional | 8.2 TS2M0 | 9 TS M0 |
| Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server | 8.2 TS2M0 | 9 TS M0 |
| Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server | 8.2 TS2M0 | 9 TS M0 |
| Solaris | 8.2 TS2M0 | 9 TS M0 |
| OpenVMS VAX | 8.2 TS2M0 | 9 TS M0 |
| 64-bit Enabled Solaris | 8.2 TS2M0 | 9 TS M0 |
| z/OS | 8.2 TS2M0 | 9 TS M0 |
| IRIX | 8.2 TS2M0 | 9 TS M0 |
| OS/2 | 8.2 TS2M0 | |
| Linux | 8.2 TS2M0 | 9 TS M0 |
| 64-bit Enabled HP-UX | 8.2 TS2M0 | 9 TS M0 |
| HP-UX | 8.2 TS2M0 | 9 TS M0 |
| ABI+ for Intel Architecture | 8.2 TS2M0 | 9 TS M0 |
| CMS | 8.2 TS2M0 | 9 TS M0 |
| OpenVMS Alpha | 8.2 TS2M0 | 9 TS M0 |
| 64-bit Enabled AIX | 8.2 TS2M0 | 9 TS M0 |
| Tru64 UNIX | 8.2 TS2M0 | 9 TS M0 |
| AIX | 8.2 TS2M0 | 9 TS M0 |
| Microsoft Windows XP Professional | 8.2 TS2M0 | 9 TS M0 |
*
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.
| Type: | Problem Note |
| Priority: | high |
| Topic: | SAS Reference ==> Informats
|
| Date Modified: | 2009-05-20 14:34:57 |
| Date Created: | 2002-02-28 16:54:09 |
