Using the XML Engine to Transport SAS Data Sets across Operating Environments

Transporting a SAS Data Set

This example exports an XML document from a SAS data set on a source host, then imports the XML document to a SAS data set on a target host. The XML engine uses all defaults; for example, the format is GENERIC, which is a simple, well-formed XML markup. The COPY procedure is used to read the SAS data set and write its content in XML markup, then the DATA step is used to read the XML document and write its content to a SAS data set.

The following output shows the SAS data set MYFILES.CLASS to be moved to another host.

SAS Data Set MYFILES.CLASS to Be Exported

                Obs    Name       Sex    Age    Height    Weight

                  1    Alfred      M      14     69.0      112.5
                  2    Alice       F      13     56.5       84.0
                  3    Barbara     F      13     65.3       98.0
                  4    Carol       F      14     62.8      102.5
                  5    Henry       M      14     63.5      102.5
                  6    James       M      12     57.3       83.0
                  7    Jane        F      12     59.8       84.5
                  8    Janet       F      15     62.5      112.5
                  9    Jeffrey     M      13     62.5       84.0
                 10    John        M      12     59.0       99.5
                 11    Joyce       F      11     51.3       50.5
                 12    Judy        F      14     64.3       90.0
                 13    Louise      F      12     56.3       77.0
                 14    Mary        F      15     66.5      112.0
                 15    Philip      M      16     72.0      150.0
                 16    Robert      M      12     64.8      128.0
                 17    Ronald      M      15     67.0      133.0
                 18    Thomas      M      11     57.5       85.0
                 19    William     M      15     66.5      112.0

The following SAS program exports an XML document on the source host for the SAS data set MYFILES.CLASS:

libname myfiles 'SAS-library'; 

libname trans xml 'XML-document'; 

proc copy in=myfiles out=trans; 
   select class;
run;

The first LIBNAME statement assigns the libref MYFILES to the physical location of the SAS library that stores the SAS data set CLASS in SAS proprietary format. The V9 engine is the default.
The second LIBNAME statement assigns the libref TRANS to the physical location of the file (complete pathname, filename, and file extension) that will store the exported XML document, and then specifies the XML engine. By default, the XML engine generates GENERIC format.
The COPY procedure reads the SAS data set MYFILES.CLASS and writes its content in XML markup to the specified file.

Here is the resulting XML document.

XML Document Exported from MYFILES.CLASS

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="windows-1252" ?>
<TABLE>
   <CLASS>
      <Name> Alfred </Name>
      <Sex> M </Sex>
      <Age> 14 </Age>
      <Height> 69 </Height>
      <Weight> 112.5 </Weight>
   </CLASS>
   <CLASS>
      <Name> Alice </Name>
      <Sex> F </Sex>
      <Age> 13 </Age>
      <Height> 56.5 </Height>
      <Weight> 84 </Weight>
   </CLASS>
.
.
.
   <CLASS>
      <Name> William </Name>
      <Sex> M </Sex>
      <Age> 15 </Age>
      <Height> 66.5 </Height>
      <Weight> 112 </Weight>
   </CLASS>
</TABLE>

After the XML document is exported on the source host, it must be transferred from the source host to the target host. Then, with the XML document available on the target host, the following SAS program translates the XML markup to SAS proprietary format:

libname trans xml 'XML-document'; 

libname myfiles 'SAS-library'; 

data myfiles.class; 
   set trans.class;
run;

The first LIBNAME statement assigns the libref TRANS to the physical location of the XML document (complete pathname, filename, and file extension) that was transferred to the target host, and specifies the XML engine. By default, the XML engine expects GENERIC format.
The second LIBNAME statement assigns the libref MYFILES to the physical location of the SAS library that will store the resulting SAS data set. The V9 engine is the default.
The DATA step reads the XML document and writes its content in SAS proprietary format.

Issuing the PRINT procedure produces the output for the data set that was translated from the XML document:

proc print data=myfiles.class;
run;

PROC PRINT Output for MYFILES.CLASS Moved to Another Host by Importing XML Document

                           The SAS System                          1

           Obs    WEIGHT     HEIGHT         AGE    SEX    NAME

             1     112.5       69.0          14    M      Alfred
             2      84.0       56.5          13    F      Alice
             3      98.0       65.3          13    F      Barbara
             4     102.5       62.8          14    F      Carol
             5     102.5       63.5          14    M      Henry
             6      83.0       57.3          12    M      James
             7      84.5       59.8          12    F      Jane
             8     112.5       62.5          15    F      Janet
             9      84.0       62.5          13    M      Jeffrey
            10      99.5       59.0          12    M      John
            11      50.5       51.3          11    F      Joyce
            12      90.0       64.3          14    F      Judy
            13      77.0       56.3          12    F      Louise
            14     112.0       66.5          15    F      Mary
            15     150.0       72.0          16    M      Philip
            16     128.0       64.8          12    M      Robert
            17     133.0       67.0          15    M      Ronald
            18      85.0       57.5          11    M      Thomas
            19     112.0       66.5          15    M      William

Top of Page