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Moving and Accessing SAS Files across Operating Environments |
Note: Version 7 and Version 8 filename extensions are identical.
However, the Version 8default eight-character filename extension requirement conflicts with a valid three-character filename extension that supports FAT- (File Allocation Table) style disk devices that are used exclusively in OS/2 and Windows environments.
Version 8 fails to recognize Version 8 files that have short filename extensions under these circumstances:
Although specifying the V8 engine in a LIBNAME statement does exclusively identify Version 8 files for access, the V8 engine alone does not recognize Version 8 files with short filename extensions.
In order to access both Version 8 files that have short
filename extensions, you must set the SHORTFILEEXT option in the LIBNAME statement.
Setting SHORTFILEEXT overrides the default LONGFILEEXT, allowing Version 8
to recognize valid three-character filename extension equivalents. An example
of a short extension for a Version 8 data set is
.sd7
. Here is an example of setting the SHORTFILEEXT option in the
LIBNAME statement on an OS/2 or Windows host:
libname grades 'c:\chemistry' shortfileext;
The SHORTFILEEXT option allows Version 8 to recognize short filename extensions, which enables you to create, read from, and write to Version 8 files on a FAT device. For more information about the SHORTFILEEXT option, see SAS Companion for the OS/2 Environment or SAS Companion for the Microsoft Windows Environment, whichever is applicable.
Because Version 8 can recognize Version 8 files that have either long or short filename extensions, but not both, you may use PROC COPY to copy the Version 8 files that have short names to a Version 8 library that uses a long name, by default. Short names are converted to long names automatically.
Note: If Version 8 files that have short names are located
on FAT devices, be sure to copy these files elsewhere.
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Copyright 1999 by SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA. All rights reserved.