Date:         Tue, 5 Sep 2000 20:41:15 GMT
Reply-To:     sashole@mediaone.net
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Paul Dorfman <paul_dorfman@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: FW: Creating a file IF....
Comments: To: James.Kerrison@FMR.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

Foster,

Ian is of course right. However, Howard's solution does not need an existing
fileref (I think I mentioned it in my 'ditto' reply to Howard's post, but am
not quite sure). In this variant,

data _null_;
   retain fname "c:\sastest.txt";
   set dataset;
   file smth filevar=fname;
   if _n_=1 then put @01 "TITLE";
   put @1 var1 comma10.;
run;

SMTH is merely a dummy name, not associated with any already assigned
fileref. It *does* work in 8.1. (Actually, despite the tech note, Howard's
variant where the fileref had already been assigned, worked too, but since
the tech note raises a flag, I would comply.)

Kind regards,
===================
Paul M. Dorfman
Jacksonville, Fl
===================

>From: "Kerrison, James" <James.Kerrison@FMR.COM>
>Reply-To: "Kerrison, James" <James.Kerrison@FMR.COM>
>To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>Subject: FW: Creating a file IF....
>Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2000 16:03:37 -0400
>
>Thanks Ian,
>
>FYI for anyone who clipped Howard's code, and is in V8.
>
>"Howard's solution works in 6.12, but V8 has tightened up the code so that
>one should not use an existing fileref with the FILEVAR option.  See
>
>SN-001168
>Do not use existing fileref with FILEVAR= on INFILE "
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Ian Whitlock [mailto:WHITLOI1@WESTAT.com]
>Sent: Tuesday, September 05, 2000 3:33 PM
>To: 'Kerrison, James'
>Subject: RE: Creating a file IF....
>
>
>James,
>
>FILE is both executable and compile time directive.  As a compile time
>directive a buffer is set up and the old file wiped out (unconditionaly
>when
>the code is read).  As an executable the buffer pointer is changed when the
>IF statement is true.  However, for an empty dataset, execution stops
>on the SET statement.  Howard's solution works in 6.12, but V8 has
>tightened
>up the code so that
>one should not use an existing fileref with the FILEVAR option.  See
>
>    SN-001168
>Do not use existing fileref with FILEVAR= on INFILE
>
>Ian Whitlock <whitloi1@westat.com>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Kerrison, James [mailto:James.Kerrison@FMR.COM]
>Sent: Monday, August 28, 2000 11:31 AM
>To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>Subject: Creating a file IF....
>
>
>This seems like a simple enough step, but I can't get it right. I am trying
>to create a file IF there is data in a dataset.
>
>My code looks something like this:
>
>data _null_ ;
>   set dataset;
>
>if _n_ = 1 then do ;
>file "filexxx.txt";
>
>Put @ 01 "TITLE   " .......;
>
>end ;
>
>put @ 01 Var1 comma10. ....;
>
>run ;
>
>I am assuming that if the dataset is null that the if statement will
>evaluate to 0, and nothing will happen. However the file is still being
>created even though there is no data in the dataset being set! Any ideas or
>pointers would be appreciated.
>
>TIA,
>
>Foster Kerrison

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