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Using Spatial Data with SAS/GIS Software

The SASHELP.GISIMP Data Set

You can manually change the values for the destination location each time you import data. However, you can also set new default values that will be in effect for each subsequent import unless you manually declare specific values for an import. Use caution when changing these values because the import has predefined values in the SASHELP.GISIMP data set that are needed for the import to complete.

The SASHELP.GISIMP data set supplies values that you need to import your spatial data. Included in this data set are two variables, DEFMLIB and DEFSLIB, which are used to supply the default values for the Map Entries Library and the Spatial Data Sets Library. To specify different default values:

  1. Edit the SASHELP.GISIMP data set (you must have WRITE access to the SASHELP library).

  2. Change the values of the DEFMLIB and the DEFSLIB variables.
    1. Change the values of the DEFMLIB variable to the that libref you want to use as the default for the map entries.

    2. Change the value of the DEFSLIB variable to the libref that you want to use as the default for the spatial data sets.

  3. Save the data set.

  4. Reinvoke the Import window.

If the specified libref does not exist, an error message is issued, and the name SASUSER is substituted for the libref.

If you do not have WRITE access to the SASHELP library, and you want to change the default values for the DEFMLIB and DEFSLIB, variables copy the SASHELP.GISIMP data set to an allocated library to which you do have WRITE access. Change the values and save the data set as described above. Before you reinvoke the Import window, you must assign the new location of the GISIMP data set to the macro variable USER_FIL. For example, if you copy the SASHELP.GISIMP data set to your SASUSER library, submit the following statement: 

%LET USER_FIL=SASUSER.GISIMP;

If you want to use the default values for a particular import without having to modify the SASUSER.GISIMP data set, you can reset the USER_FIL macro variable to the default SASHELP.GISIMP data set. For example: 

%LET USER_FIL=SASHELP.GISIMP;

The import will use the values in the data set that the USER_FIL macro variable points to.


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