Date:         Wed, 28 Nov 2007 16:40:52 -0600
Reply-To:     "data _null_," <datanull@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         "data _null_," <datanull@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: embed blanks in macro var used in pipe
Comments: To: "F. J. Kelley" <jkelley@uga.edu>
In-Reply-To:  <20071128173205.JIY07261@punts3.cc.uga.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Do you just need to double up the double quotes?

265  %let mydir=c:\example_data\ ;
266   filename dir_list pipe "dir ""&mydir..*.dat"" /b";
267   filename dir_list list;
NOTE: Fileref= DIR_LIST
      Physical Name= dir "c:\example_data\.*.dat" /b



On Nov 28, 2007 4:32 PM, F. J. Kelley <jkelley@uga.edu> wrote:
> I know I solved this some time ago, but have forgotten.
>
> simple case:
>  %let mydir=c:\example_data\ ;
>  filename dir_list pipe "dir &mydir..*.dat /b";
>  data test;
>    infile dir_list ;
>
> and you get all the .dat files in the directory (yes, this is part of a larger pgm)
> However, suppose the path includes embedded blanks:
>  at a win cmd prompt you can type
>   dir "C:\Documents and Settings"
>
>  but you cannot type
>   dir 'C:\Documents and Settings'
>
>  so the first example cannot be used because a macro var will not resolve inside ''.  And it gets better: I may need a macro variable inside the path as well.
>
> I came up with a solution a few years ago and know I have seen another, probably on SAS-L, so thought I'd ask.  (plus it has been a looong day, and I don't really think a pkg of 6 oreos counts as a great lunch, but heck, more than in grad schl).
> thanks,
> --Joe
>