Bryan K. Beverly, UTA/DigitalNet

Transcription

1 Using SAS to Create Excel files with Multiple Worksheets Bryan K. Beverly, UTA/DigitalNet ABSTRACT This paper demonstrates how to create Excel worksheets in SAS and then bundle the worksheets into a single workbook. This approach can be useful in two ways: (1) for those instances when your production server is UNIX but you need customized Excel or (2) if you have end users who need computed/processed information, but do not have SAS. By using this SAS/Excel approach, you provide end users with multiple sets of analyses in one Excel file - no need to WinZip or expend time transmitting multiple files. Hence, the end user gets the products without having to license SAS software or have SAS programming skills. PROBLEM You have a SAS/UNIX-based production system. This system typically produces reports and data extracts for internal customers with access to the UNIX server. However, you now receive a request to produce deliverables for external customers. The problem is that these external customers do not have SAS; they work from Windows servers and can only read Excel files. To complicate the requirements, they want multiple Excel worksheets, but they want them all in one workbook. SOLUTION The solution to this problem is three-fold. First, you create the Excel files on the UNIX server by using ODS. As noted in the example below (please see the CODE section), directing procedure output to a file with an XLS extension creates an Excel file within the UNIX environment. Second, upload the XLS files to Windows server that has SAS and Excel installed. This server acts as the staging area for file transfers and conversions. Third, while the remote SAS session is still open invoke Excel and use DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange) to insert the multiple files into a single workbook. A prerequisite to performing this task is creating an empty Excel workbook as a template. DDE will insert the individual worksheets, remove the blank worksheets, and save the bundled deliverables on a server accessible by the end user. The final step in this process is using a DOS command to delete the Excel files used as input. CODE %macro sendit; /*Create a sample data set on a UNIX server*/ data one; month='jan'; count='100'; wages='$1000'; month='feb'; count='200'; wages='$2000'; month='mar'; count='300'; wages='$3000'; data two; month='apr'; 1

2 count='400'; wages='$4000'; month='may'; count='500'; wages='$5000'; month='jun'; count='600'; wages='$6000'; data three; month='jul'; count='700'; wages='$7000'; month='aug'; count='800'; wages='$8000'; month='sep'; count='900'; wages='$9000'; data four; month='oct'; count='1000'; wages='$10000'; month='nov'; count='1100'; wages='$11000'; month='dec'; count='1200'; wages='$12000'; /*Use ODS to put the report in Excel format*/ "/home/beverlyb/sas_excel_report1.xls" proc print data=one split='*'; title "Sample SAS to Excel Report 1"; "/home/beverlyb/sas_excel_report2.xls" proc print data=two split='*'; 2

3 title "Sample SAS to Excel Report 2"; "/home/beverlyb/sas_excel_report3.xls" proc print data=three split='*'; title "Sample SAS to Excel Report 3"; "/home/beverlyb/sas_excel_report4.xls" proc print data=four split='*'; title "Sample SAS to Excel Report 4"; /*Send the Excel file to a Windows server*/ filename unix1 "/home/beverlyb/sas_excel_report1.xls" ; filename unix2 "/home/beverlyb/sas_excel_report2.xls" ; filename unix3 "/home/beverlyb/sas_excel_report3.xls" ; filename unix4 "/home/beverlyb/sas_excel_report4.xls" ; %let ntserver=your_nt_server; options remote=ntserver comamid=tcp; signon user=your_user_id password=your_password; rsubmit; /*use SAS/CONNECT components to move the files*/ %macro loadit; options noxwait compress=yes reuse=yes symbolgen; filename nt1 "c:\bkb\sas_excel_report1.xls"; proc upload status=no infile=unix1 outfile=nt1 binary; filename nt2 "c:\bkb\sas_excel_report2.xls"; proc upload status=no infile=unix2 outfile=nt2 binary; filename nt3 "c:\bkb\sas_excel_report3.xls"; proc upload status=no infile=unix3 outfile=nt3 binary; filename nt4 "c:\bkb\sas_excel_report4.xls"; proc upload status=no infile=unix4 outfile=nt4 binary; %mend loadit; 3

4 %loadit; /*Invoke Excel and use DDE to write one or more worksheets to a single workbook*/ %macro bookit; options noxwait noxsync xmin; data _null_; call system("c:\progra~1\micros~2\office10\excel.exe"); x=sleep(7); quit; filename CMDS dde 'excel system'; /*Macros do not resolve well when DDE is active - this approach resolves them*/ /*prior to invoking DDE*/ %let writeout=%str(%'[save.as("c:\bkb\final_report_for_&sysdate..xls")]%'); data _null_; file CMDS; /*Open an empty template and save the results in another file*/ put '[Open("C:\bkb\template1.xls")]'; put '[workbook.insert("c:\bkb\sas_excel_report4.xls")]'; put '[workbook.insert("c:\bkb\sas_excel_report3.xls")]'; put '[workbook.insert("c:\bkb\sas_excel_report2.xls")]'; put '[workbook.insert("c:\bkb\sas_excel_report1.xls")]'; /*Delete the three default worksheets*/ put '[workbook.delete("sheet1")]'; put '[workbook.delete("sheet2")]'; put '[workbook.delete("sheet3")]'; put '[ERROR("FALSE")]'; put %unquote(&writeout); put '[quit()]'; quit; /*Delete the input file(s) - the /q switch suppresses the request for user input*/ /* when using the wildcard to delete mulitple files*/ x "erase /q c:\bkb\*sas_excel_report*.xls"; %mend bookit; %bookit; endrsubmit; signoff; %mend sendit;; %sendit; CAVEATS This example was performed using SAS V8.2, Solaris 8.0, and Windows NT. Since DDE is a legacy technology, this method should be thoroughly tested on the newer releases of the application and operating platforms. When implementing this solution, you will have to ensure that the DDE services are operating on the Windows server. Moreover, you will have to ensure that firewalls will not interfere with the DDE services. CONCLUSION This solution is not the only means of creating and bundling Excel files with SAS. SASV9.1 provides other ways of accomplishing the same goal. However, if your development environment is closer to the lagging edge vis-à-vis leading edge, then these classic tools will still be sharp enough to get the job done. 4

5 CONTACT INFORMATION Bryan K. Beverly UTA/DigitalNet C/O The Bureau of Labor Statistics 2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE Washington, DC Beverly_b@bls.gov ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author acknowledges the support of UTA/DigitalNet and the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the development and presentation of this paper. The author also acknowledges the assistance of Peter Ruzsa of SAS Institute Technical Support. SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective companies. 5