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CONVERT

OS/390 specifics:

all

Details

PROC CONVERT produces one output SAS data set but no printed output. The new SAS data set contains the same information as the input system file; exceptions are noted in How Variable Names Are Assigned.

The procedure converts system files from these software packages:

• BMDP "save" files up to and including the most recent version of BMDP

• SPSS "save" files up to and including Release 9, along with SPSS-X and the SPSS Portable File Format

• OSIRIS files up to and including OSIRIS IV (hierarchical file structures are not supported).

These software packages are products of other organizations. Therefore, changes may be made that make the system files incompatible with the current version of PROC CONVERT. SAS Institute cannot be responsible for upgrading PROC CONVERT to support changes to other vendor's software packages; however, attempts to do so are made when necessary with each new version of SAS.

Information associated with each software package is given in Introduction .

PROC CONVERT Statement

PROC CONVERT <options>;

options can be from the following list. Only one of the options that specify a system file (BMDP, OSIRIS, or SPSS) can be included. Usually only the PROC CONVERT statement is used, although data set attributes can be controlled by specifying the DROP=, KEEP=, or RENAME= data set options with the OUT= option of this procedure. See SAS Language Reference: Dictionary for more information about these data set options. You can also use LABEL and FORMAT statements following the PROC statement.

BMDP=fileref <(CODE=code-id | CONTENT= content-type)>

specifies the fileref of a BMDP "save" file. The first "save" file in the physical file is converted. If you have more than one "save" file in the data set, then you can use two additional options in parentheses after the libref or fileref. The CODE= option lets you specify the code of the "save" file you want, and the CONTENT= option lets you give the "save" file's content. For example, if a file CODE=JUDGES has a CONTENT of DATA, you can use this statement:

proc convert bmdp=bmdpfile(code=judges
   content=data);

DICT=fileref

specifies the fileref of an physical file that contains the dictionary file for the OSIRIS data set. The DICT= option is required if you use the OSIRIS= option.

FIRSTOBS=n

gives the number of the observation at which the conversion is to begin. This enables you to skip over observations at the beginning of the BMDP, OSIRIS, or SPSS file.

OBS=n

specifies the number of the last observation to be converted. This enables you to exclude observations at the end of the file.

OSIRIS=fileref

specifies a fileref for an physical file that contains an OSIRIS file. The DICT= option is required when you use the OSIRIS= option.

OUT=SAS-data-set

names the SAS data set that will be created to hold the converted data. If OUT= is omitted, SAS still creates a data set and automatically names it DATAn, just as if you omitted a data set name in a DATA statement. That is, if it is the first such data set in a job or session, then SAS names it DATA1; the second is DATA2, and so on. If you omit the OUT= option, or if you do not specify a two-level name in the OUT= option, then the converted data set is not permanently saved.

SPSS=fileref

specifies a fileref for an physical file that contains an SPSS file. The SPSS file can be in any of three formats: SPSS Release 9 (or prior), SPSS-X format (whose originating operating environment is OS/390, CMS, or VSE), or the portable file format from any operating environment.

How Missing Values Are Handled

If a numeric variable in the input data set has no value or has a system missing value, PROC CONVERT assigns a missing value to it.

How Variable Names Are Assigned

The following sections explain how names are assigned to the SAS variables that are created by the CONVERT procedure.

CAUTION:

Because some translation of variable names can occur (as indicated in the following sections), ensure that the translated names will be unique.   

Variable Names in BMDP Output

Variable Names in OSIRIS Output

For single-response variables, the V1 through V9999 name becomes the SAS variable name. For multiple-response variables, the suffix Rn is added to the variable name, when n is the response. For example, V25R1 would be the first response of the multiple response V25. If the variable after or including V1000 has 100 or more responses, then responses above 99 are eliminated. Numeric variables that OSIRIS stores in character, fixed-point binary, or floating-point binary mode become SAS numeric variables. Alphabetic variables become SAS character variables; any alphabetic variable whose length is greater than 200 is truncated to 200. The OSIRIS variable description becomes a SAS variable label, and OSIRIS print format information is translated to the appropriate SAS format specification.

Variable Names in SPSS Output

SPSS variable names and labels become variable names and labels without change. SPSS alphabetic variables become SAS character variables of length 4. SPSS blank values are converted to SAS missing values. SPSS print formats become SAS formats, and the SPSS default precision of no decimal places becomes part of the variables' formats. The SPSS DOCUMENT data is copied so that the CONTENTS procedure can display them. SPSS value labels are not copied.

Example of Converting a BMDP Save File

The following statements convert a BMDP "save" file and produce the temporary SAS data set TEMP, which contains the converted data. The PROC CONTENTS output would be similar to that shown in NEW Save File Created from Data Set TEMP and Converted to SAS Data Set XYZ, Part 1 of 3.

filename ft04f001 'userid.bmdp.savefile';
proc convert bmdp=ft04f001 out=temp;
run;

title 'BMDP CONVERT Example';

proc contents;
run;

Example of Converting an OSIRIS File

The following statements convert an OSIRIS file and produce the temporary SAS data set TEMP, which contains the converted data. Converting an OSIRIS File shows the attributes of TEMP.

filename osiris 'userid.misc.cntl(osirdata)';
filename dict 'userid.misc.cntl(osirdict)';
proc convert osiris=osiris dict=dict out=temp;
run;

title 'OSIRIS CONVERT Example';

proc contents;
run;

Converting an OSIRIS File

OSIRIS CONVERT Example The CONTENTS Procedure Data Set Name: WORK.TEMP Observations: 20 Member Type: DATA Variables: 9 Engine: V8 Indexes: 0 Created: 9:46 Monday, April 27, 1999 Observation Length: 36 Last Modified: 9:46 Monday, April 27, 1999 Deleted Observations: 0 Protection: Compressed: NO Data Set Type: Sorted: NO Label: -----Engine/Host Dependent Information----- Data Set Page Size: 6144 Number of Data Set Pages: 1 First Data Page: 1 Max Obs per Page: 135 Obs in First Data Page: 20 Number of Data Set Repairs: 0 Physical Name: SYS99117.T152416.RA000.USERID.R0121907 Release Created: 8.0000B2 Release Last Modified: 8.0000B2 Created by: USERID Last Modified by: USERID Subextents: 1 Total Blocks Used: 1 -----Alphabetic List of Variables and Attributes----- # Variable Type Len Pos Format Label -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 V1 Num 4 0 INTERVIEW NUMBER REF= 1 ID= 2 V2 Num 4 4 INTERVIEWER NUMBER REF= 2 ID= 3 V3 Num 4 8 PRIMARY SAMPLING UNIT REF= 3 ID= 4 V4 Num 4 12 REGION REF= 4 ID= 5 V5 Num 4 16 CHUNK AND SEGMENT REF= 5 ID= 6 V6 Num 4 20 LANGUAGE OF INTERVIEW REF= 6 ID= 7 V7 Num 4 24 LANGUAGE OF INTERVIEW REF=1621 ID= 8 V8 Num 4 28 LNGTH OF INTERVIEW REF=1620 ID= 9 V9 Num 4 32 12.4 WEIGHT REF=1700 ID=

Example of Converting an SPSS File

The following statements convert an SPSS Release 9 file and produce the temporary SAS data set TEMP, which contains the converted data. The output generated by PROC CONTENTS is similar in format to Converting an OSIRIS File.

filename spss 'userid.spssfile.num1';
proc convert spss=spss out=temp;
run;

title 'SPSSR9 CONVERT Example';

proc contents;
run;

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