SAS/SHARE User's Guide

Mixing Cross-Version Data Files in a Single Library

Version 7 or Version 8 SAS contains a compatibility engine for accessing Version 6 data files. If a physical library contains only Version 6 files, Version 7 or Version 8 uses the Version 6 engine to access the SAS files in that library. Otherwise, the Version 7 or Version 8 engine is used.

Note: The V7 and V8 engines are interchangeable. [cautionend]

Version 6 and Version 7 or Version 8 data files can reside in the same library. Such a library is called mixed mode. For example, a mixed-mode library is created when a Version 7 or Version 8 client updates a data file entry in or adds a data file entry to a Version 6 library.

You may access data files in mixed-mode libraries by

specifying the library name in the LIBNAME statement and letting SAS select the correct engine to invoke.
In this example, SAS analyzes the filename extensions of the files that are contained in library v6lib to determine what type of engine to invoke.
```
LIBNAME v6lib 'host-path';
```
If the library contains files that are in Version 6 format, SAS invokes the Version 6 engine automatically.
explicitly specifying the RENGINE= option in the LIBNAME statement.
This example shows how to access a specific SAS data library explicitly by specifying the appropriate engine in the RENGINE= option in the LIBNAME statement.
```
LIBNAME mylib 'host-path' server=shr1 RENGINE=V6;
```
To access a Version 6 file, specify RENGINE=V6; to access a Version 7 or Version 8 file, specify RENGINE=V7 or RENGINE=V8.
Note: The V7 and V8 engines are interchangeable.
If you do not explicitly specify the RENGINE= option, then the engine that is appropriate to the files in the library is invoked. For example, in a Version 7 session, the Version 7 engine is invoked by default.
concatenating a Version 6 library with a Version 7 or Version 8 library to form a mixed library.
In this example, the third LIBNAME statement concatenates the Version 7 or Version 8 library with the Version 6 library to produce a library that contains data files in both Version 6 and Version 7 or Version 8 format.
Note: Version 7 and Version 8 formats are identical.
```
LIBNAME v6lib 'host-path' SERVER=shr1 RENGINE=V6';
LIBNAME v8lib 'host-path' SERVER=shr1 RENGINE=V8;
LIBNAME mylib (v8lib v6lib);
```
The order in which you specify the librefs within parenthesis in the LIBNAME statement determines what engine is invoked to access the wanted files. For example, specifying v8lib first invokes the Version 8 engine, which only accesses files that are appended with Version 8 filename extensions. The Version 6 files are ignored. Likewise, specifying v6lib first invokes the Version 6 engine, which only accesses files that are appended with Version 6 filename extensions. In this case, Version 8 files are ignored.
Note: Version 7 and Version 8 filename extensions are identical.

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