The error "File . . . is not a SAS data set" occurs when you use the XPORT engine to import a V8 transport file


When you attempt to use the COPY procedure and the XPORT engine to read a V8 transport file, the SAS® session generates the following error.

 

ERROR: File file-name is not a SAS data set
 

To successfully read the file, pass the file specification to the %XPT2LOC macro. Example syntax follows: 

 

%xpt2loc(libref=work, filespec='c:\temp\trans.xpt')
 

The syntax above converts a V8 transport file in the temp folder on the C:\ drive into a SAS data set in the Work library.

You can check the log to confirm that the data set was successfully created. Note that the name of the data set can be different from the name of the transport file. 

If you want to write the name of the last data set that was created in your SAS session to the log, submit this statement:

 

%put &SYSDSN.;
 

For more information about the V8 transport format, see SAS KB0041592, "New SAS® transport format and tools available." The %XPT2LOC macro is included in the autocall library beginning in the second maintenance release of SAS® 9.4M2 (TS1M2).