**StudySAS Blog: Mastering Clinical Data Management with SAS**

*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 SA...

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; ...