How to Import Excel Files into SAS (With Example)

You can use proc import to quickly import data from an Excel file into SAS.

This procedure uses the following basic syntax:

/*import data from Excel file called my_data.xlsx*/
proc import out=my_data
    datafile="/home/u13181/my_data.xlsx"
    dbms=xlsx
    replace;
    getnames=YES;
run;

Here’s what each line does:

out: Name to give dataset once imported into SAS
datafile: Location of Excel file to import
dbms: Format of file being imported
replace: Replace the file if it already exists
getnames: Use first row as variable names (Set to NO if first row does not contain variable names)

The following example shows how to use this function in practice.

Example: Import Data from Excel File into SAS

Suppose we have the following dataset in Excel:

We can use the following code to import this dataset into SAS and call it new_data:

/*import data from Excel file called my_data.xlsx*/
proc import out=new_data
    datafile="/home/u13181/my_data.xlsx"
    dbms=xlsx
    replace;
    getnames=YES;
run;

/*view dataset*/
proc print data=new_data;