FILEEXIST Function: UNIX

Verifies the existence of an external file by its physical name.

Category:	External Files
UNIX specifics:	filename can be assigned with an environment variable
See:	FILEEXIST Function in SAS Functions and CALL Routines: Reference

Syntax

FILEEXIST(filename)

filename: specifies a fully qualified physical filename of the external file. In a DATA step, filename can be a character expression, a string in quotation marks, or a DATA step variable. In a macro, filename can be any expression.

Under UNIX, filename can also be an environment variable. The filename or the environment variable that you specify must be enclosed in double quotation marks.

FILEEXIST returns 1 if the external file exists, and 0 if the external file does not exist.

You can check for the existence of a directory by using FILEEXIST.