How to Use PROC COPY in SAS (With Example)

You can use the PROC COPY statement in SAS to copy a dataset from one library to another.

This statement uses the following basic syntax:

proc copy in=folder1 out=folder2 memtype=data;
    select my_data;
run;

Here is what each statement does:

IN: The library where the dataset currently exists
OUT: The library to copy the dataset to
MEMTYPE: Specifies that only dataset should be copied
SELECT: The name of the dataset to copy

The following step-by-step example shows how to use PROC COPY in practice to copy a dataset from one library to another.

Step 1: Create the Dataset

First, let’s create the following dataset called my_data that contains information about various basketball players:

/*create dataset*/
data my_data;
    input team $ points assists;
    datalines;
Mavs 14 9
Spurs 23 10
Rockets 38 6
Suns 19 4
Kings 30 4
Blazers 19 6
Lakers 22 14
Heat 19 5
Magic 14 8
Nets 27 8
;
run;

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

Step 2: Save the Dataset in One Library

Next, we’ll use the LIBNAME statement to specify the library where our dataset should be saved:

/*define library where dataset should be saved*/
libname folder1 '/home/u13181/folder1/';

/*save dataset to library called folder1*/
data folder1.my_data;
    set my_data;
run;

If I navigate to my folders and files, I can see that my_data has indeed been saved in folder1:

Step 3: Use PROC COPY to Copy the Dataset to Another Library

Next, I can use the PROC COPY statement to copy this dataset from folder1 to folder2:

/*define library where dataset should be copied to*/
libname folder2 '/home/u13181/folder2/';

/*copy my_data to library called folder2*/ 
proc copy in=folder1 out=folder2 memtype=data;
    select my_data;
run;

If I navigate to my folders and files once again, I can see that my_data has indeed been copied to folder2: