Renaming All Variables in a SAS Data Set Using the SASHELP VIEWS

*Create a temporary dataset... DSN;
data dsn;
a=1;
b=2;
c=3;
d=4;
e=5;
f=6;
run;


%macro test(lib,dsn);

*/1)*/ data _null_;
set sashelp.vtable(where=(libname="&LIB" and memname="&DSN"));
call symput('nvars',nvar);
run;

*/2)*/ data dsn;
set sashelp.vcolumn(where=(libname="&LIB" and memname="&DSN"));
call symput(cats("var",_n_),name);
run;

*/3)*/ proc datasets library=&LIB;
modify &DSN;
rename
%do i = 1 %to &nvars;
&&var&i=Rename_&&var&i.
%end;
;
quit;
run;
%mend;

%test(WORK,DSN);

After submitting the above program... the output looks like this....

Output:
Rename_a Rename_b Rename_c Rename_d Rename_e Rename_f
1 2 3 4 5 6

Here is a way I know of.. to rename all the variables in the dataset;

It can be done using the SASHELP views as follows:

1) The 1st step of the program determines the total number of variables inside the dataset with the help of SASHELP.Vtable, Data _null_ step used to do the same …. A macro variable NVAR (Number of Variables) will be created after this step which can be accessed in the following steps.

2) What the 2nd step does is….assigns a unique IDNUM to all the variables of the dataset with the help of SASHELP.Vcolumn.

3) What the 3rd step does is … it uses Proc Datasets with the MODIFY statement to rename all the variables in the dataset. The DO LOOP is been used to resolve the 6 macro variables in a macro of a temporary dataset.

How to determine the executing program name and path programatically

Sometimes, we need to keep the name and path of the executing program in the FOOTNOTE of the generated table or listings.

I have always created a macro variable using the %let statement and, then I called the Macro variable in the footnote statement to get the name of the program. Eventhough it is simple.. it may not be suitable when we write application which need to self document...

Here is another technique which can be used to retrieve the pathname and filename (last executed) .....

To get the last opened filename:

proc sql noprint;
select scan(xpath,-1,'\') into :progname from sashelp.vextfl
where upcase(xpath) like '%.SAS';
quit;

%put &progname;

result: filename.sas

or

data _null_;
set sashelp.vextfl(where=(upcase(xpath) like '%.SAS'));
call symput('program', scan(xpath,-1,'\'));
run;

%put &program;

result: filename.sas
To get path name ... then .. use the following code;


proc sql noprint;
select xpath into :progname
from sashelp.vextfl where upcase(xpath) like '%.SAS';
quit;

%put &progname;

Result:
H:\Company\Client\Study\ABC304\Programs\filename.sas

or

data _null_;
set sashelp.vextfl
(where=(upcase(xpath) like '%.SAS'));
call symput('program', xpath));
run;

%put &program;

Result:
H:\Company\Client\Study\ABC304\Programs\filename.sas

Here is another coolway to retrieve the filename and path of last executed program;

If you are using Windows operating system, we can access the executing program and its path using two environmental variables SAS_EXECFILENAME and SAS_EXECFILEPATH.

To access the values of these two variables use %SYSGET macro function.
The below macro calls(pathfind and filefind) gets u the name of the executing program and its path:

%macro pathfind;
%sysget(SAS_EXECFILEPATH)
%mend pathfind;
%put %pathfind;

%macro filefind;
%sysget(SAS_EXECFILENAME)
%mend filefind;
%put %filefind;