SAS 9.4 Language Reference, 6th Edition

subsequent SAS sessions. Normally, you specify that data sets be stored in or retrieved

from this library by specifying a one-level name. Files held in the Work library are

deleted at the end of the SAS session if it ends normally.

There are a number of SAS system options that enable you to customize how you name

and work with your permanent and temporary SAS libraries. See the USER=, WORK=,

WORKINIT, and WORKTERM system options in SAS System Options: Reference for

more information.

Definition of a Metadata-Bound Library

A metadata-bound library is a physical library that is tied to a corresponding metadata

secured table object. Each physical table within a metadata-bound library has

information in its header that points to a specific metadata object. The pointer creates a

security binding between the physical table and the metadata object. The binding ensures

that SAS universally enforces metadata-layer access requirements for the physical table

—regardless of how a user requests access from SAS. For more information, see SAS

Guide to Metadata-Bound Libraries.

The AUTHLIB procedure is used to create, access, and modify metadata-bound

libraries. This procedure is intended for use by SAS administrators. Users who lack

sufficient privileges in either the metadata layer or the host layer cannot use this

procedure. For more information, see “AUTHLIB Procedure” in Base SAS Procedures

Guide.

SAS System Libraries

Introduction to SAS System Libraries

Four special libraries supplied by SAS provide convenience, support, and customization

capability:

• Work

• User

• Sashelp

• Sasuser

Work Library

Definition of Work Library

The Work library is the temporary (scratch) library that is automatically defined by SAS

at the beginning of each SAS session. The Work library stores two types of temporary

files: those that you create and those that are created internally by SAS as part of normal

processing. Typically, the Work library is deleted at the end of each SAS session if the

session terminates normally.

SAS System Libraries 593

Using the Work Library

To store or retrieve SAS files in the Work library, specify a one-level name in your SAS

program statements. The libref Work is automatically assigned to these files as a system

default unless you have assigned the User libref. The following examples contain valid

names for SAS data sets stored in the Work library:

•

data test2;

•

data work.test2;

•

proc contents data=testdata;

•

proc contents data=work.testdata;

Operating Environment Information

The Work library is implemented differently in various operating environments. See

the SAS documentation for your operating environment for more information.

Relation to the User Library

While the Work library is designed to hold temporary files used during the current SAS

session, the User library is designed to hold files after the SAS session is over. If you

associate the libref User with a SAS library, use a one-level name to create and access

files that are not deleted at the end of your SAS session. When SAS encounters a one-

level filename, it looks first in the User library, if it has been defined, and then it looks in

Work. If you want to place a file in the User library, so that it is not deleted after your

SAS session is over, any single-level file goes there by default. At that point, if you want

to create a temporary file in Work, you must use a two-level name, such as Work.Name.

User Library

Definition of User Library

The User library enables you to read, create, and write to files in a SAS library other

than Work without specifying a libref as part of the SAS filename. Once you associate

the libref User with a SAS library, SAS stores any file with a one-level name in that

library. Unlike the Work library, files stored in this library are not deleted by SAS when

the session terminates.

Ways to Assign the User Libref

You can assign the User libref using one of the following methods:

• LIBNAME statement

• LIBNAME function

• USER= system option

• operating environment command

In this example, the LIBNAME statement is used with a DATA step, which stores the

data set Region in a permanent SAS library.

libname user 'SAS-library';

data region;

... more DATA step statements ...

run;

In this example, the LIBNAME function assigns the User libref:

data _null_;

x=libname ('user', 'SAS-library');

594 Chapter 26 • SAS Libraries