Thanks Mark,

Sorry for being dense, but... where would I put the %let statement to make the timing work out?

That is, I thought (perhaps incorrectly) that I need to specify -altlog at invocation. So I've been trying it in my config file and on the invocation command. I don't think I can put a %let statement in my config file (can I?). I think putting %let in the autoexec would be too late (isn't it)?

Just to add something beyond a question, here is my new favorite format for timestamps yyyymmddThhmmss:

%put %sysfunc(datetime(),b8601dt);

20120221T100848

Thanks, --Quentin

On Tue, Feb 21, 2012 at 9:59 AM, Terjeson, Mark <Mterjeson@russell.com> wrote: > Hi Quentin, > > One alternative is to prespecify with SAS: > > > %let yyyymmdd=%sysfunc(putn(%sysfunc(date()),yymmddn8.)); > > -altlog "C:\junk\mylog_&yyyymmdd..log" > > > for date and time: > > %let yyyymmdd=%sysfunc(putn(%sysfunc(date()),yymmddn8.)); > %let tmptime=%sysfunc(compress(%sysfunc(putn(%sysfunc(time()),time8.)),:)); > %let hhmmss=%sysfunc(putn(&tmptime,z6.)); > %let yyyymmddhhmmss=&yyyymmdd&hhmmss; > > -altlog "C:\junk\mylog_& yyyymmddhhmmss..log" > > > > As you have done, in descending unit of measure order so > that filenames will sort in directory listings as desired. > > > > Hope this is helpful. > > > Mark Terjeson > Investment Business Intelligence > Investment Management & Research > Russell Investments > 206-505-2367 > > > Russell > Global Leaders in Multi-Manager Investing > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: SAS(r) Discussion [mailto:SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Quentin McMullen > Sent: Monday, February 20, 2012 8:47 PM > To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU > Subject: altlog with timestamp > > Hi All, > > I'm trying to set up an automatically timestamped -altlog. Win XP. > > From the docs, it looks like it should be as easy as specifying: > -altlog "C:\junk\mylog_%Y%M%D.log" > > during invocation. But I've tried putting that in the defintion for > the SAS icon, and in my config file, and can't get the date directives > to resolve. Can someone enlighten me? > > Kind Regards, > --Quentin