Date:         Fri, 28 Nov 2008 00:14:03 -0500
Reply-To:     Joe Whitehurst <joewhitehurst@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Joe Whitehurst <joewhitehurst@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: deleting datasets with SAS call system(command)
Comments: To: Yu Zhang <zhangyu05@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To:  <129a50e0811272057l3e8377ep5c54a5bc0da4668c@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Red Eagle,

Oops, the DELETE function is one of the SAS Component Language
functions that is NOT available using %sysfunc.  Use the SAS Component
Language function FDELETE instead.

Joe

On 11/27/08, Joe Whitehurst <joewhitehurst@gmail.com> wrote:
> Red Eagle,
>
>  If you use the SAS Component Language Delete function (available with
>  just SAS/Base using the %sysfunc function). no operating system
>  command windows appear, you get a return code indicating success or
>  failure, and the function works on all supported operating systems:
>
>  sysrc=DELETE(name<,type,<,password<,generation>>>);
>
>  sysrc
>  contains the return code for the operation:
>
>  0
>  successful
>
>   0
>  not successful
>
>  Type: Numeric
>
>  name
>  is the name of the member of the SAS data library or the physical
>  pathname of an external file or directory. If a one-level name is
>  specified for a SAS data library member, the library is assumed to be
>  USER.
>
>  Type: Character
>
>  type
>  specifies the type of element to delete:
>
>  'ACCESS'
>  an access descriptor that was created using SAS/ACCESS software.
>
>  'CATALOG'
>  a SAS catalog or catalog entry. If a one- or two-level name is
>  specified, the catalog is deleted. If a four-level name is specified,
>  the entry is deleted.
>
>  'DATA'
>  a SAS table. (This is the default.)
>
>  'FILE'
>  an external file or directory.
>
>  'MDDB'
>  an MDDB.
>
>  'VIEW'
>  a SAS table view.
>
>  Type: Character
>
>  password
>  is the password that is assigned to the SAS table when type is DATA.
>
>  Type: Character
>
>  generation
>  is the generation number of the SAS table that is being deleted.
>
>  Type: Numeric
>
>  Details
>  DELETE attempts to delete the specified member and returns a value
>  indicating whether the operation was successful. You can use DELETE to
>  delete files or empty directories that are external to a SAS session,
>  as well as members of a SAS data library.
>
>
>  Joe
>
>
>  On 11/27/08, Yu Zhang <zhangyu05@gmail.com> wrote:
>  > look up the system option:
>  >
>  >  noxwait and noxsync
>  >
>  >
>  >  Yu
>  >
>  >
>  >  On Thu, Nov 27, 2008 at 9:59 PM, Red Eagle <rdb1956@hotmail.com> wrote:
>  >
>  >  > I have a piece of SAS code which deletes a file based on some condition.
>  >  > The only problem is when the file is deleted the DOS editor window opens.
>  >  > I don't want the DOS editor window opening when the SAS code process
>  >  > deletes
>  >  > files.
>  >  >
>  >  > Delete_this_file = 'c:\dletemenow';
>  >  > If condition = true then call system(delete_this_file);
>  >  >
>  >  > Result, deletes file and opens dos window.
>  >  > SAS 9.1.3 running on Windows XP latest patches.
>  >  >
>  >  > Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
>  >  >
>  >
>