SASHELP.VEXTFL contains the log file path in interactive mode when the log has been redirected. So, it could be loaded into a macro variable using SQL into:

Not sure what sashelp.vextfl contains when executed in batch.

proc printto log='c:\temp\test.log'; run;

title 'LOG= external file'; proc print data=sashelp.vextfl; where xpath like '%log%'; run;

/* Output */

LOG= external file

Obs fileref xpath xengine

5 #LN00009 c:\temp\test.log

proc printto; run;

/* This print returns zero rows */ title 'LOG=LOG'; proc print data=sashelp.vextfl; where xpath like '%log%'; run;

-----Original Message----- From: owner-sas-l@listserv.uga.edu [mailto:owner-sas-l@listserv.uga.edu] On Behalf Of Lorne Klassen Sent: 2006, February, 22 5:23 PM To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: Re: Current PROC PRINTTO log file??

Yes, I had checked the LOG= option using PROC OPTIONS but was wondering why it didn't show anything. It is because I'm not running in batch mode. This explains it:

"Specifies a destination to which the SAS log is written in batch or noninteractive mode".

So is this information accessible somewhere else in interactive mode?

On Wed, 22 Feb 2006 17:08:53 -0500, Michael Raithel <michaelraithel@WESTAT.COM> wrote:

>Dear SAS-L-ers, > >Lorne Klassen posted the following interesting question: > >> I'm using PROC PRINTTO to redirect the log to a file before running >> three DATA steps. Then I redirect the log back to the log window and >> parse the log file to check for errors (don't ask...it has to be done

>> this way). This works, but the problem is related to re-directing the

>> log back to the log window (using LOG=LOG). >> >> The problem is that before this section of code was submitted, the >> log may have already been directed to a particular log file, not the >> window. In this case, I do not want to simply redirect the log back >> to the log window at the end. I really want to direct the log back to

>> the file it was originally being written to. But I want to write the >> code generically such that I don't have to keep track of the last log

>> file. In some cases, I may have been originally writing to the log >> window, not to a file at all. >> >> So what I need is some way to get the file that the log is currently >> being directed to, or, "LOG" if it is currently going to the log >> window. I couldn't find an option that stores this value. I'm using >> 9.1. >> > >Lorne, whoa; what an interesting question! This is the type of problem

>that I _LOVE_ to tackle! > >I have a kind-of solution that may get you some part of the way there... >but not entirely. Perhaps you, or other SAS-L-ers, can build on it. >(Yea, sure; watch some SAS-L brainiac come along and nail this one >right off the bat)! > >The SAS LOG option "Specifies a destination to which the SAS log is >written in batch or noninteractive mode". So, if you were to run the >following SAS program, named SAS_TEST_Program.sas in batch: > >proc printto log="c:\tempfile.log"; >run; > >proc options;run; > >proc printto;run; > >... and then look at the PROC OPTIONS output in c:\tempfile.log, you >would see something like this: > >LOG=C:\SAS_Test_Program.log > >So, you could use this to your advantage by querying the value of the >LOG option. You would capture it in a macro variable and save it for >later. When you wanted to switch the log back, you would use the value

>of the macro variable as the "new" destination--though it is really the

>old destination back again. Yea, this sounds good, but, again, this >methodology could only work in BATCH:-( > >Lorne, best of luck getting a better answer from the SAS-L cast of >thousands! > > >I hope that this suggestion proves helpful now, and in the future! > >Of course, all of these opinions and insights are my own, and do not >reflect those of my organization or my associates. All SAS code and/or >methodologies specified in this posting are for illustrative purposes >only and no warranty is stated or implied as to their accuracy or >applicability. People deciding to use information in this posting do so

>at their own risk. > >+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ >Michael A. Raithel >"The man who wrote the book on performance" >E-mail: MichaelRaithel@westat.com > >Author: Tuning SAS Applications in the MVS Environment > >Author: Tuning SAS Applications in the OS/390 and z/OS Environments, >Second Edition >http://www.sas.com/apps/pubscat/bookdetails.jsp?catid=1&pc=58172 > >Author: The Complete Guide to SAS Indexes >http://www.sas.com/apps/pubscat/bookdetails.jsp?catid=1&pc=60409 > >+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ >Don't be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an >experiment. The more experiments you make the better. >- Ralph Waldo Emerson >+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ _______________________________________________________________________

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