Importing one line json file into SAS

/*Create json file containing sample data*/
filename json "%sysfunc(pathname(work))\json.txt";
data _null_;
file json;
put '{"metadata1":"val1,","metadata2":"val2}","data_rows":[{"var1":1,"var2":2,"var3":3},{"var1":4,"var2":5,"var3":6}]}';
run;

/*Data step for importing the json file*/
data want;
infile json dsd dlm='},' lrecl = 1000000 n=1;
retain metadata1 metadata2;
if _n_ = 1 then input @'metadata1":' metadata1 :$8. @'metadata2":' metadata2 :$8. @;
input @'var1":' var1 :8. @'var2":' var2 :8. @'var3":' var3 :8. @@;
run;

      

        
        
        
      

    

Notes:

• The SAS point to start reading each variable is set using logic @'string'
  
  .
• Setting ,
  
  both }
  
  delimiters and using format modifiers :
  
  in an input statement instructs SAS to continue reading characters from the specified starting point until the maximum requested number or delimiter is read.
• The setting dsd
  
  in the infile statement removes double quotes from character data values ​​and prevents any problems from occurring if the character variables contain delimiters.
• The double trailing @
  
  instructs SAS to continue reading more records from the same line using the same logic until it reaches the end of the line.
• Metadata variables are treated as a special case using a separate input statement. If necessary, they can be redirected in one line to a separate file.
• lrecl
  
  must be greater than or equal to the length of your file for this approach to work.
• The setting n=1
  
  should help reduce memory usage if your file is very large, preventing SAS from trying to buffer multiple lines of input.