How can I include a timestamp in a .xpt filename?

Question

I have a SAS script that outputs a SAS .xpt file. I currently use the PROC COPY method of generating this because the required name includes dashes and is longer than eight characters (which I understand is the name limit when using xport).

My code is roughly as follows:

LIBNAME TempSrc "C:\Temp";
LIBNAME xportout xport 'C:\Temp\1234-AB-FileOut_Name_.xpt';

PROC IMPORT datafile="C:\Temp\FileIn.csv"
    out=mydata
    dbms=dlm replace;
    DELIMITER= ",";
    getnames=yes;
    options ExtendObsCounter=no;
RUN;

DATA TempSrc.SasFile;
    set work.mydata
RUN;

PROC COPY in=TempSrc out=xportout memtype=data;
    select stdy7673;
RUN;

I have recently been required to include a timestamp in the output file name.

I have these macros to generate the date and time as required:

%let today=%sysfunc(date(), date9.);
%let now=%sysfunc(time(), time5.); 
%let now=%sysfunc(compress(&now, :));

I have not been able to incorporate into the LIBNAME with any success, though.

Neither of the following has worked:

LIBNAME xportout xport 'C:\Temp\1234-AB-File_Name_&today.&now..xpt';
LIBNAME xportout xport 'C:\Temp\1234-AB-File_Name_' || &today. || &now. '.xpt';

How can I include the datetime in the .xpt filename?

Allan Bowe Allan Bowe · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-11T17:12:10

Macro variables won't resolve in 'single quotes'. Use "double quotes" as follows:

LIBNAME xportout xport "C:\Temp\1234-AB-File_Name_&today.&now..xpt";

How can I include a timestamp in a .xpt filename?

1 Answers