MS Access DDE Selectively Quotes Strings

I'm using dynamic data exchange (DDE) to read text strings from a Microsoft Access database into SAS. If (and only if) Access sees a quotation mark in any text value, it quotes the value and doubles the original quotation marks. For example, A "funny" result becomes "A ""funny"" result" I know it's happening on the Access side because I've dumped the _INFILE_ variable and I see the extra quotation marks. I'd like to find a way to inhibit MS Access from doing this. Next best would be a simple way to have SAS undo it, like a $QUOTE informat or an UNQUOTE function (neither of which seems to exist). Last resort will be to use SUBSTR, TRANWRD, and so forth to undo it. I know how to do that. I'd just prefer to avoid it.

Howard, The following seems to work (Plan B): DATA _NULL_; LENGTH Original Revised $ 30; INPUT Original & ; Revised = INPUT(Original,$QUOTE30.); PUT Original= / Revised= // ; CARDS; "A ""funny"" result" A not-so-funny result RUN; Seems like the informat ought to be called $UNQUOTE not $QUOTE, but greater minds than ours ... Mike Rhoads Westat RhoadsM1@Westat.com -----Original Message----- From: Howard Schreier [mailto:Howard_Schreier@ITA.DOC.GOV] Sent: Friday, February 27, 2004 3:17 PM To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: MS Access DDE Selectively Quotes Strings I'm using dynamic data exchange (DDE) to read text strings from a Microsoft Access database into SAS. If (and only if) Access sees a quotation mark in any text value, it quotes the value and doubles the original quotation marks. For example, A "funny" result becomes "A ""funny"" result" I know it's happening on the Access side because I've dumped the _INFILE_ variable and I see the extra quotation marks. I'd like to find a way to inhibit MS Access from doing this. Next best would be a simple way to have SAS undo it, like a $QUOTE informat or an UNQUOTE function (neither of which seems to exist). Last resort will be to use SUBSTR, TRANWRD, and so forth to undo it. I know how to do that. I'd just prefer to avoid it.