Regressing SAS Data Sets to SAS 6 Format


Regressing SAS Data Sets to SAS 6 Format

The UPLOAD and DOWNLOAD procedures in SAS/CONNECT and PROC COPY with the XPORT engine are the only strategies available for regressing a data set to SAS 6.

Note  

SAS/CONNECT requires a separate license.

SAS 9 and 8 support of long variable names, long variable labels, and long data set labels can make SAS 9 and 8 data sets incompatible with SAS 6 data sets. In order to revert back to SAS 6, these long names must be truncated to a length that is supported in SAS 6. Here are the truncation rules:

SAS 9 and 8 Data Set Object Names to Regress

Truncates to x characters for SAS 6

Data set labels

40

Variable labels

40

Variable names

8

In order to transport SAS 9 and 8 files back to SAS 6, set the portable VALIDVARNAME system option to the value V6 in the SAS session in which you are transporting the file. Here are examples, which are specified in the form of a SAS system option and a macro variable:

 options VALIDVARNAME=V6 %let VALIDVARNAME=V6; 

For details about setting the VALIDVARNAME system option, see SAS Language Reference: Dictionary .

The truncation algorithm that is used to produce the 8-character variable name also resolves conflicting names:

  • The first name that is greater than 8 characters is truncated to 8 characters. A truncation from PROPERTYTAXRATE to PROPERTY is the first truncation.

  • The next name that is greater than 8 characters is truncated to 8 characters. If it conflicts with an existing variable name, it is truncated to 7 characters, and a suffix of 2 is added. For example, PROPERTYTAXRATE is truncated to PROPERT2.

  • The suffix is increased by 1 for each truncated name that conflicts with an existing name. If the suffix reaches 9, the next conflicting variable name is truncated to 6 characters, and a suffix of 10 is appended. For example, PROPERTYTAXRATE is truncated to PROPER10.

The VALIDVARNAME option solves the long variable name truncation problem. However, there are no techniques for regressing the following SAS 9 or 8 features to SAS 6:

  • Data set names that exceed 8 characters

  • Integrity constraints

  • Data set generations

  • Audit trail.

The solution to regressing data sets that have these features is to re-create the data sets without the SAS 9 or 8 features in a SAS 9 or 8 session.

Note  

SAS/CONNECT does support uploading or downloading some catalog entries from SAS 9 or 8 to SAS 6. For more information, see PROC UPLOAD and PROC DOWNLOAD in the SAS/CONNECT User's Guide .




Moving and Accessing SAS 9.1 Files
Moving And Accessing SAS 9.1 Files
ISBN: 1590472306
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 109
Authors: SAS Institute

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