Definition of a SAS Data File

SAS data file

is a type of SAS data set that contains both the data values and the descriptor information. SAS data files are of the type DATA.

Note: In the SAS System, the term "data set" is used to refer to both SAS data files, which contain data and data set descriptor information, and to SAS data views, which consist entirely of descriptor information. [cautionend]

native SAS data file

stores the data values and descriptor information in a file formatted by SAS.

interface SAS data file

stores the data in a file that was formatted by software other than SAS. Beginning with Release 6.06, there are engines for reading and writing data from files that were formatted by software such as ORACLE, DB2, SYBASE, ODBC, BMDP, SPSS, and OSIRIS. These files are interface SAS data files, and when their data values are accessed through an engine, SAS recognizes them as SAS data sets.

Note: The availability of engines that can access different types of interface data files is determined by your site licensing agreement. See your system administrator to determine which engines are available. For more information about SAS multi-engine architecture, see SAS I/O Engines. [cautionend]

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