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reading version 9 SAS datasets in R

4 messages · jude.ryan at ubs.com, Nordlund, Dan (DSHS/RDA), Frank E Harrell Jr

jude.ryan at ubs.com
# 
Hi,

 

I am trying to read a SAS version 9.1.3 SAS dataset into R (to preserve
the SAS labels), but am unable to do so (I have read in a CSV version).
I first created a transport file using the SAS code:

 

libname ces2 'D:\CES Analysis\Data';

filename transp 'D:\CES Analysis\Data\fadata.xpt';

 

/* create a transport file - R cannot read file created by proc cport */

proc cport data=ces2.fadata file=transp;

run;

 

I then tried to read it in R using:
Error in lookup.xport(file) : file not in SAS transfer format

 

Next I tried using the libname statement and the xport engine to create
a transport file. The problem with this method is that variable names
cannot be more than 8 characters as this method creates a SAS version 6
transport file. 

 

libname to_r xport 'D:\CES Analysis\Data\fadata2.xpt';

 

data to_r.fadata2;

  set ces2.fadata;

run;

 

But I get an error message in the SAS log:

 

493  libname to_r xport 'D:\CES Analysis\Data\fadata2.xpt';

NOTE: Libref TO_R was successfully assigned as follows:

      Engine:        XPORT

      Physical Name: D:\CES Analysis\Data\fadata2.xpt

494

495  data to_r.fadata2;

496    set ces2.fadata;

497  run;

 

ERROR: The variable name BUS_TEL_N is illegal for the version 6 file
TO_R.FADATA2.DATA.

NOTE: The SAS System stopped processing this step because of errors.

WARNING: The data set TO_R.FADATA2 was only partially opened and will
not be saved.

 

Next I tried other ways of reading a SAS dataset in R, as shown below:

 

fadata2 <- sas.get("D:\\CES Analysis\\Data", mem=fadata)

Error in sas.get("D:\\CES Analysis\\Data", mem = fadata) : 

  Unix file, "D:\CES Analysis\Data/c(1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1,
1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1,
1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1,
1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1,
1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1,
1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1,
1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1,
1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, .sd2 D:\CES Analysis\Data/c(NA, 64716,
NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA,
NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA,
NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, 64716, NA,
NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA,
NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA,
NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, 

In addition: Warning message:

In sas.get("D:\\CES Analysis\\Data", mem = fadata) :

  D:\CES Analysis\Data/formats.sc? or formats.sas7bcat  not found.
Formatting ignored.
[1] "fadata"
Error in lookup.xport(file) : file not in SAS transfer format
SAS failed.  SAS program at
D:\DOCUME~1\re06572\LOCALS~1\Temp\RtmpLqCVUx\file72ae2cd6.sas 

The log file will be file72ae2cd6.log in the current directory

Warning messages:

1: In system(paste(sascmd, tmpProg)) : "sas" not found

2: In read.ssd("D:\\CES Analysis\\Data", "fadata") :

  SAS return code was -1
sascmd=file.path(sashome, "sas.exe"))

SAS failed.  SAS program at
D:\DOCUME~1\re06572\LOCALS~1\Temp\RtmpLqCVUx\file6df11649.sas 

The log file will be file6df11649.log in the current directory

Warning message:

In read.ssd(file.path(sashome, "core", "sashelp"), "fadata", sascmd =
file.path(sashome,  :

  SAS return code was 2
Is there any way I can read in a SAS version 9 dataset in R, so that I
can preserve the SAS labels?

If I have to change the SAS variable names to be 8 characters or less,
to create a SAS version 6 transport file, I could probably do without
the SAS labels as I have already read in the data into R from a CSV
file.

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

Jude

 

___________________________________________
Jude Ryan
Director, Client Analytic Services
Strategy & Business Development
UBS Financial Services Inc.
1200 Harbor Boulevard, 4th Floor
Weehawken, NJ 07086-6791
Tel. 201-352-1935
Fax 201-272-2914
Email: jude.ryan at ubs.com

 


























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Nordlund, Dan (DSHS/RDA)
# 
Jude,

Since it appears that you have access to SAS, I would look at using the sas.get() function in the Hmisc package.  While the function appears to still be broken in the Windows version, there is an easy fix that has been posted to R-help in the past.  If you want to try this, you can search the R-help archives for posts on sas.get or you can email me off-list and I will send you the fix with instructions.  This will avoid any v6 limitations.

Hope this is helpful,

Dan

Daniel J. Nordlund
Washington State Department of Social and Health Services
Planning, Performance, and Accountability
Research and Data Analysis Division
Olympia, WA  98504-5204
Frank E Harrell Jr
#
jude.ryan at ubs.com wrote:
Try

FILENAME transp SASV5XPT 'D:\CES Analysis\Data\fadata.xpt';

Frank

  
    

      
      
    

  


  


      

    

    

      
      

        


  

        

      Frank E Harrell Jr
    

    

      
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Frank E Harrell Jr wrote:

            

      
      
      
    

        
Sorry I screwed that up.  See 
http://biostat.mc.vanderbilt.edu/SASexportHowto for the correct 
approach, under the heading "If You Have Access to SAS".

Frank