SAS/CONNECT User's Guide

General Tips for DOWNLOAD

When downloading variable block records from a remote OS/390 host to a local host, you must specify RECFM=U in the remote host FILENAME statement that points to the variable block record. For example, if the file you are downloading is called MYFILE, you would use:
```
rsubmit;
   filename 
      myfile 'vb.block.record' recfm=u;
   proc download infile=myfile 
      outfile='c:\vb.rec' binary;
   run;
endrsubmit;
```
After the local host's LOG window shows the number of bytes transferred, you would issue the following local FILENAME statement using an RECFM= and an LRECL= option, where the value of LRECL= is the number of bytes transferred:
```
filename myfile 'c:\vb.rec' recfm=s370vb 
   lrecl=xxxx;
```
You cannot download a SAS data set to an external file or an external file to a SAS data set.
Remember that the DOWNLOAD procedure executes on the remote SAS System. You must use the RSUBMIT command, not the SUBMIT command, to execute the PROC DOWNLOAD step.
The rate at which files are transferred varies based on the size and number of files that are being transferred and the processing load on the remote host, as well as the communication access method that is being used and the network configuration. The Transfer Status window keeps you informed of the progress of the transfer. See Transfer Status Window for more information.
If the PROC DOWNLOAD step successfully completes the file transfer, the macro variable SYSINFO is set to 0. If the file transfer is not successfully completed, the macro variable SYSINFO is set to a value greater than 0. You can pass the value of the SYSINFO macro variable back to the local host by using the %SYSRPUT statement. See %SYSRPUT Statement for more information.
To download a text file that has a record length greater than 132 bytes, the LRECL= option must be specified in both the local and remote FILENAME statements.

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