I	INPUT mode allows random access if the engine supports it; otherwise, it defaults to IN mode.
IN	INPUT mode reads sequentially and allows revisiting observations.
IS	INPUT mode reads sequentially but does not allow revisiting observations.
N	NEW mode creates a new data set.
U	UPDATE mode allows random access if the engine supports it; otherwise, it defaults to UN mode.
UN	UPDATE mode reads sequentially and allows revisiting observations.
US	UPDATE mode reads sequentially but does not allow revisiting observations.
V	UTILITY mode allows modification of variable attributes and indexes associated with the data set.

MTYPE

returns the SAS data library member type.

SORTEDBY

returns an empty string if the data set is not sorted. Otherwise, it returns the names of the BY variables in the standard BY statement format.

SORTLVL

returns a value that indicates how a data set was sorted:

Empty string	Data set is not sorted.
WEAK	Sort order of the data set was established by the user (for example, through the SORTEDBY data set option). The system cannot validate its correctness, so the order of observations cannot be depended on.
STRONG	Sort order of the data set was established by the software (for example, through PROC SORT or the OUT= option in the CONTENTS procedure).

SORTSEQ

returns an empty string if the data set is sorted on the native machine or if the sort collating sequence is the default for the operating environment. Otherwise, it returns the name of the alternate collating sequence used to sort the file.

TYPE

returns the SAS data set type.

Examples

This example generates a message if the SAS data set has not been opened in INPUT SEQUENTIAL mode. The message is written to the SAS log (see Generating an Error Message for Files Not Opened in INPUT SEQUENTIAL Mode).
```

Generating an Error Message for Files Not Opened in INPUT SEQUENTIAL Mode


%let mode=%sysfunc(attrc(&dsid,MODE));
%if &mode ne IS %then
   %put Data set has not been opened in INPUT SEQUENTIAL mode.;
```

This example tests whether a data set has been sorted and writes the result to the SAS log.

data _null_;
   dsid=open("sasdata.sortcars","i");
   charset=attrc(dsid,"CHARSET");
   if charset = "" then
      put "Data set has not been sorted.";
   else put "Data set sorted with " charset 
            "character set.";
   rc=close(dsid);
run;

See Also

Functions:

ATTRN

OPEN

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