Date:         Fri, 23 Feb 2001 13:38:19 +0200
Reply-To:     Arjen.Raateland@vyh.fi
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Arjen Raateland <Arjen.Raateland@VYH.FI>
Organization: Suomen ymparistokeskus
Subject:      -LOG option, Batch Submit & Submit
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Arjen Raateland wrote:
> > In SAS8.1 in batch mode under Windows the LOG and OUTPUT files are
> > supposed to get the name of the program to be run, but unfortunately it
> > is shortened to 8 characters
> > (like TIEDOS~2.LOG instead of Tiedostonluku_FTP-protokollan_avulla.log).
>
> Could it be that SAS is only ever passed the shortened form of the
> program file name by Windows NT when I drag&drop the program onto the
> SAS shortcut?

Well, after much testing and booting I at least got Batch submit on the
pop-up menu to work as intended.

The pop-up menu Batch Submit way:
The pathname for SAS.EXE in the Batch Submit file type action for SAS
System Program was in short form without double quotes. I completed it
and put quotes around it.

The argument %1 was in quotes from the start. Because of the program
name shortening problem, I tried changing %1 into %L, but messed up with
the % signs and ended up with "%1%, which didn't contribute to a quick
solution :-( red face.

I had to remove the original -config option from the above file type
action, because we assign config files only through NT-environment
variables.


SAS documentation on the -LOG option has it that one can use an
environment variable containing a pathname to set the directory for all
batch mode LOG files. Well, it seems an NT environment variable like
TEMP doesn't work here, not with a bang nor without it ("!temp" or just
"temp"). A directory like D:\TEMP is OK, though. Maybe only SAS
environment variables are allowed here. Very finicky, IMO. I've now
removed the LOG & PRINT options completely.

Using right click on the program name and choosing Batch Submit with no
LOG option in any config file, the LOG file is now placed in the
directory where the program is and the long form of the file name is
used. This is OK.


The Drag & Drop way:
Dropping the program from NT explorer onto the SAS shortcut icon still
results in a LOG file with a shortened file name in the root directory
(D:\ in my case). In this case it looks like SAS is only ever passed the
short form of the program, but I haven't located the culprit yet. So,
still not OK.


Alternative way of running in the background (OLE Automation):
The Submit file type action for a SAS System Program works differently
and in my case it doesn't, informing me of a problem with a config file:
Error: Configuration file
"g:\sas_test\PROGRA~1\SASINS~1\SAS\V8\SASV8.CFG" is unreadable.
There is no such file on this workstation and nothing in the definition
of this action points to the said config file. The supposed location is
where SAS.EXE resides, though.
Valid config files for this installation are only found where the SI
assigned NT environment variables sas_sys_config and sas_user_config
point to.
The SAS OLE Automation server hangs.
Not OK.

I couldn't find much on File type actions form the SAS Doc's. More input
is welcome.
--
Arjen Raateland
Finnish Environment Institute
SAS Support
phone +358 9 4030 0350