SAS File Conversion

This document tells how to convert members of SAS libraries from one version of SAS to another (such as from SAS 6.11 to SAS 8). The same procedure will also convert members of SAS libraries from one platform to another (such as from Unix to MS Windows).

The basic idea is to create a SAS Transport File, which can be read by any version of SAS on any platform. The SAS procedure proc copy is used to both create the transport file on the source SAS version/platform, and to read the transport file into the destination SAS version/platform. In this document, we will illustrate (1) the conversion of an entire SAS version 6.11 library to version 8, and (2) the conversion of a subset of the members in a SAS version 6.11 library to version 8. Interested readers can find more information about proc copy at http://www.math.wpi.edu/saspdf/common/mainpdf.htm: click on "SAS Procedures Guide" and then "The COPY Procedure".

If You Have Never Used SAS 8 ...

/math/mathlab/bin/sasetupa

Converting A SAS Version 6.11 Library to Version 8

Step 1: Create the Transport File

1. Have available a directory in which to store the transport file. This can be a temporary storage area, since you will only need to store it temporarily. We'll assume the full path name to the storage directory is stordir (that is, where you see stordir in the commands below, put the full path name to the storage directory.)
2. Select a file name for the transport file. We'll assume the file name is temp.xpt.
3. Run SAS 6.11.
4. From the SAS 6.11 Program Editor Window, submit the following commands:

   libname translib xport 'stordir/temp.xpt';
   proc copy in=mylib out=translib;
   run;
   

The data library mylib has now been copied to the transport file temp.xpt found in the directory stordir.

Step 2: Unpack the Transport File

1. Have available a directory in which to put the SAS version 8 library. We'll assume the full path name to this directory is newdir.
2. Run SAS 8.
3. From the SAS 8 Program Editor Window, submit the following commands:

   libname misc 'newdir';
   libname translib xport 'stordir/temp.xpt';
   proc copy in=translib out=misc;
   run;
   
   

A Few Other Points

1. The SAS 8 members will be found in the directory stordir, and until you log out of SAS 8, in the SAS 8 library misc. You may want to check that you can access them. To access them routinely in future SAS 8 sessions, you will want to assign a SAS library name to that directory in your autoexec.sas800 file. To do so, insert a libname command, such as the one used above, into your autoexec.sas800 file before your next SAS 8 session.
2. Unless you want to save it as a backup, you can now delete temp.xpt.

Selecting A Subset of Library Members

For instance, suppose you want to select member1 and member2 from the SAS 6.11 library mylib and convert them to SAS 8 format. Then from the SAS 6.11 Program Editor Window, submit the following commands:

libname translib xport 'stordir/temp.xpt';
proc copy in=mylib out=translib;
select member1 member2;
run;

libname misc 'newdir';
libname translib xport 'stordir/temp.xpt';
proc copy in=translib out=misc;
run;

Questions?