topic Re: Parsing column names from dataset in SAS Data Management

Parsing column names from dataset

pokepim — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 10:47:03 GMT

I have dataset (table) that has over 300 column names, I would like to parse out all the column names which are of type=numeric and contain a specific string in name (like "app"). And then all those column names that meet the conditions I would put into a macro variable.

(%let vars = [list of those column names]).

How would should I do that?

Re: Parsing column names from dataset

Kurt_Bremser — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 10:49:20 GMT

Retrieve the names from dictionary.columns and use the SQL into: clause to populate the macro variable.

Re: Parsing column names from dataset

RW9 — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 11:18:18 GMT

Why exactly? I am sure if you provided a bit more information on the process surrounding this request, a far better solution could be found than selecting x number from a large list of variables, and then creating macro code, which you will than have to create even more macro code to work with etc. Its just exponetiating the code you need to write.