SAS To Table (Conversion Tools)

Summary

Converts a SAS dataset to a table.

Usage

This tool supports connection to SAS Desktop installed on a local computer or connection to SAS Cloud Analytic Services (CAS). If you're using CAS, the order of the records may change during conversion.

Note:

As of September 2025, the swat Python package is not compatible with Python version 3.13, which is the required version for ArcGIS Pro 3.6. Because CAS connections rely on this package, attempting to run this tool using CAS will result in an error. Support for CAS connections will be enabled again when the swat package is compatible with the Python version included with ArcGIS Pro.
The Custom Session Configuration File parameter must be used for remote deployments of SAS, such as Workspace Server, UNIX, and Mainframe. If SAS is installed on the same machine as ArcGIS Pro, the configuration file is not required.

Learn more about SAS session configurations
Provide the SAS dataset in the form libref.tablename in which libref is the name of a SAS or CAS library and tablename is the name of the SAS dataset. For example, SASUSER.MYTABLE references a SAS dataset named MYTABLE in the SASUSER library.
SAS libraries, dataset names, and column names are not case sensitive. For example, SASUSER.MYTABLE is treated the same as sasuser.mytable and SASUser.MyTable.
The number of records that can be converted depends on the available memory of your computer.
SAS dataset column formats will not be preserved in the output table.
For a local SAS deployment, the SASUSER, SASHELP, MAPS, MAPSSAS, and MAPSGFK libraries are available by default. To use a custom library, the libref must be defined in the SAS Autoexec file.

Learn more about Autoexec configurations
When connecting to CAS, you can authenticate your credentials in the following ways:
- Provide your username and password using the CAS Username and Password parameters. The password will be hidden and not accessible through geoprocessing history.
- Provide an authorization (Authinfo) file using the CAS Authorization (Authinfo) File parameter containing your username and encoded password. This option allows you to avoid retyping your password each time you run the tool.
  
  To automatically use an Authinfo file each time you use the tool, name the file _authinfo (including the underscore) and save it in the Windows home directory (usually C:\Users\<username>). The file can have any file extension, such as _authinfo.txt or _authinfo.netrc. If the file exists in your home directory, the CAS Authorization (Authinfo) File parameter will automatically populate with the file. This allows you to avoid browsing for the same Authinfo file each time you use the tool.
  
  The Authinfo file can contain connection information for multiple hosts and ports, but for the simplest case of a single user connecting to a single host and port, the Authinfo file will be a single line with the following syntax:
  
  default user MYUSERNAME password {SAS004}1234567890ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
  
  You can encode your password for the file using the PROC PWENCODE SAS procedure.
  
  Learn more about creating Authinfo files and encoding passwords
The WORK library is a temporary workspace that is created when a SAS session starts, and all files are deleted when the session closes. This tool starts and closes a new SAS session during operation, so you should not use the WORK library in this tool.

Label	Explanation	Data type
Input SAS Dataset (libref.tablename)	The input SAS dataset. Provide the dataset in the form `libref.tablename` in which `libref` is the name of a SAS library and `tablename` is the name of the SAS dataset.	String
Output Table	The output table.	Table
Download SAS Dataset from SAS Cloud Analytic Services (CAS) (Optional)	Specifies whether the input SAS dataset will be downloaded from CAS or accessed from a local SAS library. Checked—The input SAS dataset will be downloaded from CAS. Unchecked—The input SAS dataset will be accessed from a local SAS library. This is the default.	Boolean
CAS Hostname URL (Optional)	The URL of the CAS host.	String
Port (Optional)	The port of the CAS connection.	Long
CAS Username (Optional)	The username for the CAS connection.	String
Password (Optional)	The password for the CAS connection. This password is hidden and not accessible after running the tool.	String Hidden
Custom Session Configuration File (Optional)	The file specifying custom configurations for the SAS session. The file is only required for customized local or remote SAS deployments.	File
CAS Authorization (Authinfo) File (Optional)	The file containing authentication information when connecting to CAS. The file must contain the username and encoded password for the connection. If a file is provided, the CAS Username and Password parameters do not need to be specified.	File

arcpy.conversion.SASToTable(in_sas_dataset, out_table, {use_cas_connection}, {hostname}, {port}, {username}, {password}, {custom_cfg_file}, {authinfo_file})

Name	Explanation	Data type
in_sas_dataset	The input SAS dataset. Provide the dataset in the form `libref.tablename` in which `libref` is the name of a SAS library and `tablename` is the name of the SAS dataset.	String
out_table	The output table.	Table
use_cas_connection (Optional)	Specifies whether the input SAS dataset will be downloaded from CAS or accessed from a local SAS library. `USE_CAS`—The input SAS dataset will be downloaded from CAS. `LOCAL_SAS`—The input SAS dataset will be accessed from a local SAS library. This is the default.	Boolean
hostname (Optional)	The URL of the CAS host.	String
port (Optional)	The port of the CAS connection.	Long
username (Optional)	The username for the CAS connection.	String
password (Optional)	The password for the CAS connection. This password is hidden and not accessible after running the tool.	String Hidden
custom_cfg_file (Optional)	The file specifying custom configurations for the SAS session. The file is only required for customized local or remote SAS deployments.	File
authinfo_file (Optional)	The file containing authentication information when connecting to CAS. The file must contain the username and encoded password for the connection. If a file is provided, the `username` and `password` parameters do not need to be specified.	File

Code sample

SASToTable example 1 (Python window)

The following Python window script demonstrates how to use the SASToTable function with a local SAS installation.

import arcpy
arcpy.conversion.SASToTable("sashelp.cars", "CarsTable", "LOCAL_SAS")

SASToTable example 2 (stand-alone script)

The following stand-alone Python script demonstrates how to use the SASToTable function using a connection to CAS.

# Import system modules
import arcpy
import getpass

# Provide tool parameters
in_SASDS = "casuser.MySASData"
out_table = "MyEsriData"
connection = "USE_CAS"
hosturl = 'https://XXX.vdp.sas.com/XXX-XXXXX-default-http/'
port = 100
username = "CAS_user"

# Provide password securely
password = getpass.getpass()

try:
    # Set the workspace and run the tool.
    arcpy.env.workspace = r"C:\\SASToTable\\MyData.gdb"
    arcpy.conversion.SASToTable(in_SASDS, out_table, connection, hosturl,
                     port, username, password)

except arcpy.ExecuteError:
    # If an error occurred when running the tool, print the error message.
    print(arcpy.GetMessages())

Environments

This tool does not use any geoprocessing environments.

Licensing information

Basic: Yes
Standard: Yes
Advanced: Yes