Date:         Tue, 16 Nov 1999 11:18:29 -0500
Reply-To:     laurie_abell@DOFASCO.CA
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Laurie Abell <laurie_abell@DOFASCO.CA>
Subject:      Re: Number of obs in dataset
Comments: To: JacquesT@IPRONLINE.COM
Content-Type: text/plain

Here's an example of how you can create a macro variable (&numobs) that
contains the number of observations in a SAS dataset without using a data
step (courtesy of Paul Gorrell)....

     An efficient way to get the number of obs in a SAS dataset is as
follows:

     %let id_num = %sysfunc(open(dsname));
     %let numobs = %sysfunc(attrn(&id_num,nobs));
     %let clz_dsn = %sysfunc(close(&id_num));

hope this helps !

Laurie


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jacques Thibault [SMTP:JacquesT@IPRONLINE.COM]
> Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 1999 11:01 AM
> To:   SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject:      Number of obs in dataset
>
> Hi SAS-Ls,
>
> I have this problem that when I wanna count the number of observations in
> a
> dataset and the dataset is empty, instead of having zero (0), I have one
> (1).   Then I red that with NOBS= , for certain SAS views, the SAS system
> cannot determine the number of observations.  In these cases, the SAS
> system
> sets the value of the NOBS= variable to the largest positive integer value
> available on the host system (which means 1...)  <Rf.SAS Language p.485>.
>
> This is my "simple" code:
>
> ...
> data _null_;
>  set dsname nobs=n;
>  call symput('nbobs',n);
>  stop;
> run;
>
> I know this looks pretty simple, and when I test only this (presuming
> dsname
> has 0 obs.), it works.  But when including the same lines in my macro, it
> doesn't work anymore.  Is anyone got this problem before?   Is there any
> other way to get the number of obs. (like in SQL...)?...
>
> Thanks for helping...