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BUFSIZE=

Default:	0
Valid in:	configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, OPTIONS window
CMS specifics:	maximum buffer size

number-of-bytes

specifies the number of bytes of storage in 1K increments. The number of bytes can have a value from 0 to the maximum value buffer size, technically 2,147,483,647 in the CMS environment. The practical limit depends on the number of buffers and the size of the virtual machine.

If the value is 0, SAS chooses an operating environment default that is optimal for the SAS data set. If any value that you specify is not adequate, SAS automatically rounds up to the next valid buffer size for the data set.

Details

The BUFSIZE= option is valid only for output data sets, that is, data sets named in the DATA statement of a DATA step or in the OUT= option of a SAS procedure.

The buffer size, or page size, determines the size of the input/output buffer SAS uses when transferring data during processing. A page is the number of bytes of data that SAS moves between external storage and memory in one logical I/O operation. Once specified, the buffer size is a permanent attribute of the data set, and the specified buffer size is used whenever the data set is processed. To change the buffer size, you must use a DATA step to copy the data set and specify a new buffer size or use the SAS default.

Using the BLKSIZE=, BUFNO=, and BUFSIZE= options can speed up execution time by reducing the number of times SAS has to read from or write to the storage medium. However, the improvement in execution time comes at the cost of increased memory consumption.

See Also

• SAS Language Reference: Dictionary

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