FILENAME Function: Windows

Assigns or deassigns a fileref for an external file, directory, or output device.
Category: External Files
Windows specifics: device types and host options
See: FILENAME Function in SAS Functions and CALL Routines: Reference

Syntax

FILENAME (“fileref”, “filename” <,device-type<,host-options<,dir-ref>>>)

Required Arguments

fileref
in a DATA step, specifies the fileref to assign to the external file. In a macro (for example, in the %SYSFUNC function), fileref is the name of a macro variable (without an ampersand) whose value contains the fileref to assign to the external file.
Under Windows, fileref can also be a Windows environment variable. The fileref or the environment variable that you specify must be enclosed in quotation marks.
filename
specifies the external file. Specifying a blank filename clears the fileref that was previously assigned.
Under Windows, the filename differs according to the device type. Reserved Windows Physical Names shows the information that is appropriate to each device. The filename that you specify must be enclosed in quotation marks.
device-type
specifies type of device or the access method that is used if the fileref points to an input or output device or location that is not a physical file. It can be any one of the devices that are listed in FILENAME statement device-type argument . DISK is the default device type.
host-options
are options that are specific to Windows. You can use any of the options that are available in the FILENAME statement. See the FILENAME statement host-option-list .
dir-ref
specifies the fileref that is assigned to the directory in which the external file resides.

Details

FILENAME returns a value of 0 if the operation was successful, and a nonzero number if the operation was not successful.

Example

For an example of using the FILENAME function, see Obtaining Directory Information.