topic Re: Expression using multiplication requires numeric type error in SAS Data Management

Expression using multiplication requires numeric type error

David_Billa — Wed, 25 Nov 2020 17:14:10 GMT

I want to multiply two numeric variables called value and factor to derive the variable 'new_value' in one (join) transformation . But when I multiply I got the error as mentioned in subject.

When I checked I see that both the variables are defined as numeric from source. But I'm not sure why I get this error.

Expression which I used is, new_value=value*factor.

When I run the automatic code from the transformation in SAS EG, I see that the variable 'factor' is character but in DI job I see that it's a numeric data type. Any help here identify the cause for this error?

Why the variable type differs between EG and DI Studio?

Re: Expression using multiplication requires numeric type error

PaigeMiller — Wed, 25 Nov 2020 17:36:34 GMT

Show us the PROC CONTENTS on these two variables in yuour data set.

Show us the full complete unedited LOG of the data step code that you are using.

Re: Expression using multiplication requires numeric type error

Tom — Wed, 25 Nov 2020 17:22:43 GMT

Most likely because the EG steps/code is using a different dataset than the DI steps/code is using.

Re: Expression using multiplication requires numeric type error

David_Billa — Wed, 25 Nov 2020 17:33:57 GMT

I took the same code which was being used in DI to EG.

Re: Expression using multiplication requires numeric type error

Reeza — Wed, 25 Nov 2020 18:25:35 GMT

Does that code include an import step? If so, and the import is PROC IMPORT or an automated import task that doesn't specify data types explicitly is why you'd get different answers. When you use a guessing procedure the risk is that the guesses could be different in different applications such as EG versus DI versus R/Python.

Re: Expression using multiplication requires numeric type error

David_Billa — Thu, 26 Nov 2020 07:39:57 GMT

No import in my code

Re: Expression using multiplication requires numeric type error

ErikLund_Jensen — Thu, 26 Nov 2020 19:26:48 GMT

Hi @David_Billa

In DI Studio you see the metadata entries for column definitions. It is a "normative" description, and in the best of all worlds the physical data set is created with the same attributes. But this is not always the case. There might be different attributes or even different variables present. It depends on the code that created the table,

Try to update metadata on the table in DI Studio (right click on the table and select "update metadata") and see what happens. If the column changes to character, you have found the problem and need to correct the error in the job that created the table.

If the variable is still numeric after update you are accessing two different tables in DI Studio and EG, like pointing to a development library in DI Studio and a production library in EG or vice versa.