Beginning in SAS® 9.2, you can use the the PUTNAMES= statement with PROC EXPORT to control whether or not variable names are written out to comma, tab, or delimited files. You can also use the PUTNAMES= statement with the LABEL option to write out labels instead of variable names with PROC EXPORT. By default, variable names are written to the first row of the external file (comma, tab, or delimited) when using PROC EXPORT.

Here is an example of using the PUTNAMES= statement to prevent variable names (headers) from being written to row 1 of the external file:

   proc export data=sashelp.class
               outfile='c:\temp\classnoheaders.csv'
     dbms=csv replace;
     putnames=no;
   run;

Here is an example of writing out the labels instead of variable names when using PROC EXPORT:

   /*Modify SASHELP.CLASS to include labels for variables*/
   data newclass;
     set sashelp.class;
     label name='First Name'
           sex='Gender'
           Age='Age of Person'
           Height='Height of Person'
           Weight='Weight of Person';
   run;
   proc export data=newclass outfile='c:\temp\classlabel.csv'
               label dbms=csv replace;
   run;

Operating System and Release Information

**Contents from external file with no variable names **

Alfred,M,14,69,112.5
Alice,F,13,56.5,84
Barbara,F,13,65.3,98
Carol,F,14,62.8,102.5
Henry,M,14,63.5,102.5
James,M,12,57.3,83
Jane,F,12,59.8,84.5
Janet,F,15,62.5,112.5
Jeffrey,M,13,62.5,84
John,M,12,59,99.5
Joyce,F,11,51.3,50.5
Judy,F,14,64.3,90
Louise,F,12,56.3,77
Mary,F,15,66.5,112
Philip,M,16,72,150
Robert,M,12,64.8,128
Ronald,M,15,67,133
Thomas,M,11,57.5,85
William,M,15,66.5,112


***Contents of external file with labels instead of variable names***

"First Name","Gender","Age of Person","Height of Person","Weight of Person"                                                             
Alfred,M,14,69,112.5                                                                                                                    
Alice,F,13,56.5,84                                                                                                                      
Barbara,F,13,65.3,98                                                                                                                    
Carol,F,14,62.8,102.5                                                                                                                   
Henry,M,14,63.5,102.5                                                                                                                   
James,M,12,57.3,83                                                                                                                      
Jane,F,12,59.8,84.5                                                                                                                     
Janet,F,15,62.5,112.5                                                                                                                   
Jeffrey,M,13,62.5,84                                                                                                                    
John,M,12,59,99.5                                                                                                                       
Joyce,F,11,51.3,50.5                                                                                                                    
Judy,F,14,64.3,90                                                                                                                       
Louise,F,12,56.3,77                                                                                                                     
Mary,F,15,66.5,112                                                                                                                      
Philip,M,16,72,150                                                                                                                      
Robert,M,12,64.8,128                                                                                                                    
Ronald,M,15,67,133                                                                                                                      
Thomas,M,11,57.5,85                                                                                                                     
William,M,15,66.5,112