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In Version 8 of the SAS System, you will receive an error message when
creating a V6 SAS data set from a DBMS table containing one or more
character columns with values greater than 200 bytes.

The access engine correctly truncates the width of the column to 200
bytes, the maximum for a V6 SAS data set. However, the length of the SAS
format will be too long for a V6 SAS data set.  The length of the format
will be that of a V8 SAS data set.  You will receive a note indicating
the SAS variable length has been truncated. You will also receive an
error message indicating the format length is too long for a Version 6
SAS data set.

  NOTE:  The variable length for <column> has been truncated to
         200 for the V6 engine.
  ERROR:  The format length of the variable <column> is too long for
          the Version 6 file <sas data set name>.

Currently, the only circumvention is to add a FORMAT= and INFORMAT=
column modifier to your PROC SQL Passthrough code.  For example,

  libname v6lib v6 '/dir/path';

  proc sql;
   connect to sybase(user=userid sybpw=sybase_pw server=servername);
   create table v6lib.v6style as
    select longcol format=$200. informat=$200.
     from connection to sybase(select longcol from sybase_table);
   quit;

If you are using a SAS DATA step with the V8 LIBNAME access method to
retrieve the data from your DBMS table, you can add a FORMAT and
INFORMAT statement to your DATA step.  For example,

  libname syblib sybase user=userid sybpw=sybase_pw server=servername;
  libname v6lib v6 '/your/dir';

  data v6lib.v6style;
    format longcol $200.;
    informat longcol $200.;

    set syblib.sybase_table;
   run;


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#008119

For customers running SAS with Asian Language Support (DBCS), this
hot fix should be downloaded from:

http://www.sas.com/techsup/download/hotfix/82_dbcs_prod_list.html#008119

Operating System and Release Information

A fix for Release 8.2 (TS2M0) for this issue is available at:

A fix for Release 8.2 (TS2M0) with Asian Language Support (DBCS) for this issue is available at: