Hi Bernie,

You can uncompress a SAS dataset just like any (external) file. Actually all files are "external", can be compressed and uncompressed. There is no difference between file types. And you actually shouldn't say your dataset is compressed, but your dataset has been packed inside a compressed file (zip file), in/from which any file can be stored/extracted, any number of files (and subdirectories). There is nothing special on SAS datasets.

The point with a pipe, however, is that the (un)compression program should allow a command line interface in order to be able to be driven from SAS. Winzip has a separately downloadable command line interface. Many other compression software also has additional command line support, like Power Archiver, gzip for DOS/Windows and PKZIP for DOS or Windows. (I often still use PKZIP for DOS, vs. 2.50, Windows and long file name compatible; just apply the DOS SETVER option: SETVER PKZIP.EXE 7.10; the same applies to PKUNZIP. 7.10 refers to the DOS version number of Windows 98, without it it does not suppport long file names.)

Another issue is: are the Unix (or Linux) datasets Windows compatible? I really don't know. If not then you have to use transport files. But for the moment I assume they are compatible (OS independent).

regards - Jim. -- Jim Groeneveld, Netherlands Statistician, SAS consultant home.hccnet.nl/jim.groeneveld

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 15:09:33 -0500, Bernard S. Zimmerman <bernie@HOMER.ATT.COM> wrote:

>Listers: > >My question is fairly simple, I hope. > >Is there a way, an easy way perhaps, to *uncompress* a SAS dataset that >has been compressed with the "gzip" command on Unix. I know you can read >external compressed files, both compressed using (WinZip) and gzip-ped >with the 'pipe' option of the filename statement. Does something >similar exist when it comes to permanent SAS datasets? > >TIA > >Bernie Zimmerman > >-- >AT&T Labs, consultant >Florham Park, NJ 07932 >(973) 236- 6718