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SAS Proc Copy – Moving multiple datasets at once

There are times when we find ourselves needing to move many datasets within a library to another location. One of many ways to do this is with the Proc Copy procedure.

The elements of a Proc Copy procedure are as follows:

proc copy in=source_library out=target_library memtype=all;

select dataset1 dataset2 dataset3;

run;

The memtype option allows you to specify what kind of member you want to move. This is optional and if you leave it off, SAS will default to ALL. Here are you available choices for this option.

ACCESS - access descriptor files (created by SAS/ACCESS software)

ALL - all member types

CATALOG - SAS catalogs

DATA - SAS data sets

FDB - financial database

MDDB - multidimensional database

PROGRAM - stored compiled SAS programs

VIEW - SAS data views

Additionally, the select statement can be left off as well. Doing so will select all datasets that meet the memtype requirements. It might be worth noting that all datasets copied will have a timestamp equal to the runtime of the procedure not equal to the source dataset.

If you have data management challenges, give us a call. We will help you design a solution that meets your needs.