I have a user who regularly downloads SAS datasets from MVS to Win 3.11 using CONNECT via SAS/ASSIST. Today she generated some never before seen error messages, and downloading no longer works. Yesterday, in the late afternoon, all was well.

When she downloads she clicks a download button and gets a list of datasets and a prompt to select which one to download. Today, she gets a progam halt in an ASSIST program entry. However, that is not the real problem, the halt is caused by a data step that attempts to update a dataset WORK.DATV2. This is all internal to the SAS download process, but we see it in the log.

Specifically, the download process executes (on MVS) an SQL query that creates a view called WORK.DATV and containing the names of all SAS datasets that could be downloaded. Then it downloads that view creating a dataset called WORK.DATV2 on the PC. This then becomes the input to the ASSIST program field that displays the datasets for selection. Before ASSIST displays that list, it trys to recreate the WORK.DATV2 file using a datastep, this is to create a new variable. It is this datastep that is suddenly failing. Furthermore, the errors in the log are in fact of the form EXPECTING ONE OF THE FOLLOWING, and then a list of SQL keywords. The error is flagged on the work DATA, ie the start of the data step.

Unusually, or perhaps not given this is all internal to SAS/ASSIST, the line numbers in the log have 40 as the successful download of the WORK.DATV view, but then 53 for the DATA that is in error. It looks like a few lines aren't in the log.

Now given my usual skepticism when people tell me nothing has changed I have tried to find differences between today and yesterday when the download worked. That isn't easy, as the PC user is 400 miles away. However, I believe her level of knowledge of SAS and PC's would render her incapable of making any change to her system. The MVS side certainly hasn't changed. So I have to believe what she says although the possibility of accidental modification exists.

Now I don't expect anyone to solve this. But if anyone does happen to have seen this problem when downloading from ASSIST, and in particular errors relating to WORK.DATV view and WORK.DATV2 dataset I'd love to know how you got around it.

If anyone from SAS does read this, I've tracked it via New Zealand SAS but I would love a response from anyone outside the usual tech support area as well if you have any ideas. This is a critical credit card MIS system which is now causing major grief to the user.

Thanks Don

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Don Stanley DSTANLE@IBM.NET Information Power Limited SAS Institute Quality Partners Wellington NEW ZEALAND

Author : Beyond The Obvious With SAS Screen Control Language Currently Writing : Effective Use Of The Frame Entry In SAS Software (Working title)