mv) a file in a file system, the rename function must be passed file as third argument: %let dir_top = p:\ath\to\a\directory; %let dir_a = &dir_top\dir_a; %let dir_b = &dir_top\dir_b; data _null_; file "&dir_a\file.txt"; put "foo" "bar" "baz"; put "one" "two" "three"; put "x" "y" "z"; run; %let rc = %sysfunc(rename(&dir_a\file.txt, &dir_b\renamed-and-moved.txt, file)); %put rc = &rc; /* rc = 0 */