How To Upload A File So Sas Studio

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How to Import CSV Files into SAS

Ane of the most common information types to import into SAS are comma separated values (CSV) files. As the name implies, the values (columns) are separated by commas, and usually have the file extension ".csv".

This commodity will provide a walkthrough of three dissimilar methods for importing CSV files into SAS, including:

PROC IMPORT
Data Step
SAS Studio Point-and-click

Software

Before we go on, make sure you have access to SAS Studio. It's free!

Data Sets

The examples used in this article are based on the CARS.CSV file, which was derived from the CARS dataset institute the in the SASHELP library.

cars.csv - download

Before running whatever of the examples below, yous volition need to supervene upon the path '/dwelling/your_username/SASCrunch' with a directory that yous accept read/write access to in your environment.

This can vary depending on the motorcar you lot are running SAS on, the version of SAS you lot are running and the Operating System (Os) you are using.

If you are using SAS OnDemand for Academics, you must offset upload the files to the SAS server.

Please visit here for instruction if you are non certain how to do this.

1. Importing a Comma Separated Values (CSV) File with PROC IMPORT

Using the cars.csv dataset, we will walk though an example of how to import this dataset into SAS using PROC IMPORT.

The first function you lot need following the PROC IMPORT argument is the datafile argument. The datafile argument is required then that SAS knows where the file you would similar to import is stored and what the name of that file is.

Inside the quotation marks following the datafile argument, you need to add the consummate path, including the filename and file extension.

As noted higher up, exist sure to supplant '/home/your_username/SASCrunch' with the correct directory on your motorcar or environment where cars.csv is saved.

In this example, "/home/your_username/SASCrunch" is the path, "cars" is the filename, and ".csv" is the file extension.

Afterward specifying the location and dataset name, you tin can add an output dataset proper name using the out argument. Here, a dataset named CARS is going to be output to the WORK directory.

Finally, the DBMS option is used to point the type of file that you would like to import. In this example, the value for DBMS is CSV.

proc import datafile = '/home/your_username/SASCrunch/cars.csv'
out = piece of work.cars
dbms = CSV
;
run;

After running the above lawmaking (with the datafile path modified to point to a binder in your surround) you lot should see the output data (shown partially below) with 428 rows and 15 columns:

When you try to re-run a PROC IMPORT statement that you successfully ran previously, yous will notice the following Annotation in your SAS log and the PROC IMPORT volition not run:

As the note indicates, calculation the REPLACE option to your PROC IMPORT call will tell SAS that it is permissible to overwrite the dataset you created previously, and you lot can re-run the exact same PROC IMPORT code as needed:

proc import datafile = '/home/your_username/SASCrunch/cars.csv'
out = cars
dbms = csv
supervene upon;
run;

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2. Importing a Comma Separated Values (CSV) File with Data Step

Although the amount of SAS code required to import a CSV file using Data Pace is longer than the lawmaking required for PROC IMPORT, using Data Pace code allows for greater flexibility.

By using Data Step code, the variable names, lengths and types can be manually specified at the time of import. The advantage is that this allows you lot to format the dataset exactly the style you desire as soon as it is created in SAS, rather than having to make additional modifications later on.

Outset, equally with whatsoever SAS Data Step lawmaking, you need to specify the name and location for the dataset y'all are going to create. Here, a dataset named CARS_DATASTEP will be created in the Piece of work directory.

The next step is to use the INFILE statement. The INFILE statement in this example is made up of 6 components:

The location of the CSV file - /domicile/your_username/SASCrunch in this example
Delimiter option – the delimiter plant on the input file enclosed in quotation marks (delimiter is ',' in this example since it is a CSV file)
MISSOVER option – Tells SAS to keep reading the record even if a missing value is plant for 1 of the variables
FIRSTOBS – The first row that contains the observations in the input file (Set to two in this case since the observations offset on the second row in the CARS.CSV file)
DSD – Tells SAS that when a delimiter is establish inside a quotation mark in the dataset, it should be treated equally a value and non a delimiter
LRECL – Maximum length for an unabridged record (32767 is the default maximum to use which volition ensure no truncation within 32767 characters)

After the INFILE statement, the simplest way to ensure that your variable names, lengths, types and formats are specified correctly is to use a format statement for each variable. Later on an appropriate format has been assigned to each variable, the variables that you lot would similar to import should be listed in order after an INPUT statement. Notation that character variables should have a dollar sign ($) later each variable proper name.

Note that you can also specify INFORMATs and LENGTHs optionally hither, but in most cases the FORMAT and INPUT statements should be all you demand for a successful import.

Below is the Information Step code that would successfully import the CARS.CSV file into a SAS dataset. Every bit mentioned, be sure to update the path to the correct location of the CARS.CSV file on your surroundings earlier running the following lawmaking:

data work.cars_datastep;
infile '/home/your_username/SASCrunch/cars.csv'
delimiter =','
missover
firstobs =ii
DSD
lrecl = 32767;

        format Brand $5. ;
        format Model $30. ;
        format Type $half dozen. ;
        format Origin $6. ;
        format DriveTrain $5. ;
        format MSRP $9. ;
        format Invoice $9. ;
        format EngineSize best12. ;
        format Cylinders best12. ;
        format Horsepower best12. ;
        format MPG_City best12. ;
        format MPG_Highway best12. ;
        format Weight best12. ;
        format Wheelbase best12. ;
        format Length best12. ;
input
                 Brand $
                 Model $
                 Blazon $
                 Origin $
                 DriveTrain $
                 MSRP $
                 Invoice $
                 EngineSize
                 Cylinders
                 Horsepower
                 MPG_City
                 MPG_Highway
                 Weight
                 Wheelbase
                 Length
     ;
run;

Later on running the in a higher place code you should meet the CARS_DATASTEP data set, shown partially hither:

3. Importing a Comma Separated Values (CSV) File with SAS Studio

Using the congenital-in import data tool inside of SAS studio, it is possible to import CSV files into SAS without actually writing whatsoever code. The aforementioned options that you lot specified in PROC IMPORT tin be customized using the point and click utility within SAS studio.

This section will also show you how the tool can be used to generate the PROC IMPORT syntax that you can later on modify and run on your own.

Here is how you can apply the point-and-click tool to import a CSV file into SAS.

1. Click on the Server Files and Folders Pane on the left hand side of the screen:

2. Navigate to the folder where your CSV file is stored:

three. Right click on the file which you would similar to import and select Import Data:

four. Click on the Settings tab and review the current settings:

By default, SAS will try to cull the most appropriate options. However, like to PROC IMPORT, you can modify the file type, starting row to read the data from, or the GUESSINGROWS option (i.e. the number of rows that SAS should read before determining the optimal variable types and lengths).

In this example, nosotros will utilise the default Options, but volition alter the name of the output dataset to something more than informative:

v. To alter the proper noun of the output dataset, click Change:

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half-dozen. Type in the information set name cars_studio and click Save:

7. For convenience, SAS also generates and displays the PROC IMPORT syntax which will exist used to execute the import.

If you prefer, you can modify the import settings using the generated syntax every bit a starting point. Y'all can also copy, paste and modify this code equally needed. To run across the PROC IMPORT syntax SAS generates, but click the Code/Results tab:

Note that the new Data Ready name specified in the Settings window has also been updated in the Code tab automatically to reverberate this change.

viii. The Split tab also provides a convenient view of both the Settings point-and-click window and the corresponding generated code window, all in one screen:

9. Once you have finished reviewing the settings and making any necessary changes, click the Run button to complete the import.

Note that no custom settings are required in this instance to import the CARS.CSV file into a SAS dataset.

10. After running the import utility, you tin can click on the Code/Results tab once more to explore the contents and view the newly created dataset (WORK.CARS_STUDIO):