The DATASETS Procedure

SAVE Statement

Deletes all the SAS files in a library except the ones listed in the SAVE statement.

Featured in: Saving SAS Files from Deletion

SAVE SAS-file(s) </ MEMTYPE=mtype>;

SAS-file(s): specifies one or more SAS files that you do not want to delete from the SAS data library.

MEMTYPE=mtype

restricts processing to one member type (mtype).

Aliases:	MTYPE= and MT=
Default:	If you do not specify the MEMTYPE= option in the PROC DATASETS statement or in the SAVE statement, the default is MEMTYPE=ALL.
See also:	Restricting Member Types Available for Processing
Featured in:	Saving SAS Files from Deletion

If one of the SAS files in SAS-file does not exist in the procedure input library, PROC DATASETS stops processing the RUN group containing the SAVE statement and issues an error message. To override this behavior, specify the NOWARN option in the PROC DATASETS statement.
When the SAVE statement deletes SAS data sets, it also deletes any indexes associated with those data sets.

CAUTION:
SAS immediately deletes libraries and library members when you submit a RUN group. You are not asked to verify the delete operation before it begins. Because the SAVE statement deletes many SAS files in one operation, be sure that you understand how the MEMTYPE= option affects which types of SAS files are saved and which types are deleted.
When you use the SAVE statement with generation groups, the SAVE statement treats the base name and all generations as a unit. You cannot save a specific generation file.