Date:         Mon, 1 Sep 1997 19:20:47 -0400
Reply-To:     "Bassett Consulting Services, Inc." <0002395748@MCIMAIL.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU>
From:         "Bassett Consulting Services, Inc." <0002395748@MCIMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: saving SCL lists to SAS data sets

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CONTENT:      re: create a SAS data set from an SCL list
 
SUMMARY:      need to know purpose
 
REL/PLTF:     6.07/n.a.
 
NAME:         Michael L. Davis
 
INTERNET:     Bassett.Consulting@worldnet.att.net
 
AFFILIATION:  Bassett Consulting Services, Inc.
 
P-ADDR:       10 Pleasant Drive, North Haven, CT  06473
 
PHONE:        (203) 562-0640
 
FAX:          (203) 498-1414
 
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On Fri, 22 Aug 1997 09:31:21 -0700, Scott Carl <SCARL@THECREEK.COM>
 
wrote:
 
 
 
>Hi,
 
>
 
>I am looking for the "best" way to create a sas dataset from an SCL
 
>list. Any thoughts?
 
>
 
>
 
>Scott Carl
 
>Marketing Statistician
 
>Coldwater Creek
 
>One Coldwater Creek Drive
 
>Sandpoint, ID 83864
 
>scarl@thecreek.com
 
>(208) 265-7136
 
 
 
Scott, first, do you really need to create a SAS data set?  If
 
you merely wish to save the contents of an SCL list between SAS
 
sessions, you might be better served by using the SCL SAVELIST
 
function to create a SLIST catalog entry.  The SLIST entry can
 
be "reconstituted" into an SCL list using the FILLIST function.
 
 
 
If you use the strategy of saving the SCL list to an SLIST entry
 
instead of a data set, you may wish to know how to use those
 
values in a SAS data step or procedure.  After using the FILLIST
 
function, convert the SCL list items to SCL variables using the
 
appropriate "GET" commands (e.g., GETITEMC, GETITEMN, etc.).
 
Then use the SYMPUT call routine to turn the resulting SCL
 
variables into macro variables, which can be inserted in your
 
SAS code as needed.
 
 
 
However, if you really want to turn an SCL list into a data set,
 
you need to watch out for two issues that previous posts seem to
 
have ignored.  First, SCL lists can contain SCL list items as well
 
as character and numeric items.  Inspect the SCL list to be saved
 
with PUTLIST call routine to identify any sublists imbedded within
 
the list to be converted to a SAS data set.
 
 
 
Last, you did not say whether the list has any named items
 
whose names need to be preserved.  If your list does, my
 
recommendation is that you save the names as variable labels.
 
Remember that unlike labels, SCL list item names are stored in
 
upper case.