sas proc parameter size limit -

i have following code:

proc export     data=mylib.datain (         drop=             first_name mi last_name suffix             addr_1 addr_2 city             birth_dt_agg_ind             sec_birth_dt_agg_act             sec_first_name_agg_act             sec_mi_agg_act             sec_last_name_agg_act             sec_suffix_agg_act             ibx_nm_gender_1st_individual_pre             ibx_nm_gender_2nd_individual_pre         obs=2     )     outfile=stdout     dbms=csv ;  run; 

it works fine. don't want multiple fields per line. reasons of reading , editing, want 1 field per line. when this, fails. here code nicely indented--same non-white-space characters, doesn't work:

proc export     data=mylib.datain (         drop=             first_name              mi              last_name suffix             addr_1              addr_2              city             birth_dt_agg_ind             sec_birth_dt_agg_act             sec_first_name_agg_act             sec_mi_agg_act             sec_last_name_agg_act             sec_suffix_agg_act             ibx_nm_gender_1st_individual_pre             ibx_nm_gender_2nd_individual_pre         obs=2     )     outfile=stdout     dbms=csv ;  run; 

i suspect because there more 256 characters in "drop=" clause @ point. now, know can take out white space, or use tabs instead of spaces--in case, because i'm right @ edge.

but in general case, there limit number of characters can in parameter proc? 256? there way around this? tried using 2 different "drop=" parameters, didn't work.

there not limit on length of dataset options drop=. proc export scl program sas wrote. perhaps interface causing issue.

create view , tell proc export use that.

data myview / view=myview ;   set mylib.datain     (       drop=         first_name         mi         last_name suffix         addr_1         addr_2         city         birth_dt_agg_ind         sec_birth_dt_agg_act         sec_first_name_agg_act         sec_mi_agg_act         sec_last_name_agg_act         sec_suffix_agg_act         ibx_nm_gender_1st_individual_pre         ibx_nm_gender_2nd_individual_pre       obs=2     )   ; run;  proc export   data=myview   outfile=stdout   dbms=csv ; run;