[R] sas.get under Linux

[Frank E Harrell Jr]

Adrian Dusa wrote:
> Dear all,
> 
> I am trying to import a SAS file into R (in fact I only need the value labels 
> from the formats file), using Hmisc package, but I get this error:
> 
> my.sas <- sas.get("/home/adi/3", "fis1_sgg")
> sh: sas: not found
> Error in sas.get("/home/adi/3", "fis1_sgg") :
>   SAS job failed with status 32512
> 
> I read some past discussions and I get the impression that sas.get() needs the 
> full path to the SAS executable, but I don't have that because I am using 
> Linux.
> 
> Is it possible to use sas.get() without having SAS installed?

Since sas.get is trying to execute sas the answer is a definite no 
unless you use the sas.get option to run SAS on another machine to 
produce the input ASCII files needed by sas.get.  Also investigate 
sasxport.get if you have SAS version 5 transport files to import.
See also http://biostat.mc.vanderbilt.edu/SASexportHowto

As SAS never got it right in allowing for full metadata to be included 
in a SAS dataset, you often have to run PROC FORMAT CNTLOUT=... to 
convert format libraries to SAS datasets so that programs such as 
sasxport.get can assign value labels [if you have SAS installed, sas.get 
runs PROC CONTENTS for you.].  SPSS and Stata have always been ahead of 
SAS in this regard.

Note that the excellent Stat/Transfer commercial product will convert 
from almost any SAS dataset format to compact R binary objects, 
including variable labels the way the Hmisc package handles them.  If 
you have another way to convert from SAS to Stata or SPSS, R is great at 
readying those formats.

Frank

> 
> Or alternatively, is there another function to import the formats into R?
> 
> Thanks in advance for any hint,
> Adrian
> 


-- 
Frank E Harrell Jr   Professor and Chair           School of Medicine
                      Department of Biostatistics   Vanderbilt University