How to read variable names in a SAS data set?

Are there any statements\functions capable of get the name of variables? Preferrably putting them into a column of another data set, a text field or a macro variable.

E.g.

- Data set 1

Name age sex

    Jk   14   F
    FH   34   M

• Expected data set

  Var_name_of_dataset1

  Name
  age
  sex
  

PS: I know a statement: select into, which does sth relevantly It can read the value of a column into a field with customized separetors, and therefore wish there are similar ways of reading column names into a field or a column.

Thanks

PROC CONTENTS would be the quickest way to get that information in a dataset. Column names can be found in the column NAME.

proc contents data=sashelp.class out=contents noprint;
run;

You can also use a datastep and array functions, e.g.

data colnames ;
  set sashelp.class (obs=1) ;

  array n{*} _NUMERIC_ ;
  array c{*} _CHARACTER_ ;

  do i = 1 to dim(n) ;
    vname = vname(n{i}) ;
    output ;
  end ;
  do i = 1 to dim(c) ;
    vname = vname(c{i}) ;
    output ;
  end ;
run ;

%macro getvars(dsn);
 %global vlist;
 proc sql;
 select name into :vlist separated by ' '
  from dictionary.columns
  where memname=upcase("&dsn");
 quit;
%mend;

This creates a macro variable called &vlist that will contain the names of all the variables in your dataset, separated by a space. If you want commas between the variable names, all you have to do is change the 'separated by' value from ' ' to ', '. The use of the upcase function in the where statement avoids problems with someone passing the dataset name in the wrong case. The global statement is needed since the macro variable created will not necessarily be available outside the macro without defining it as global

Slightly changed from SAS help and documentation.

%macro names(dsid);
  %let dsid=%sysfunc(open(&dsid, i));
  %let num=%sysfunc(attrn(&dsid,nvars));
  %let varlist=;
  %do i=1 %to &num  ;
    %let varlist=&varlist %sysfunc(varname(&dsid, &i));
  %end;
  %let rc = %sysfunc(close(&dsid)); /*edit by Moody_Mudskipper: omitting this line will lock the dataset */
  %put varlist=&varlist;
%mend names;

%names(sasuser.class) ;

Then we preserve case and the order off data, even if numeric and character is mixed.

I'm not sure Rawfocus assertion that reading dictionary tables queries all libraries is true, had the example used sashelp.vcolumn instead then it would be true, that approach is very slow and does access all the libraries allocated. (You can prove this with the SAS RTRACE system option.)

I am of the opinion that a sql query to dictionary.columns is the fastest of the methods outlined here. Obviously the macrotised code would work without the macro but the point of the macro here is I think as a utility; put the code into your favourite macro library and you never need to think about it again.