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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