topic Re: Check if name has first and last name in SAS Data Management

Check if name has first and last name

SASPhile — Thu, 04 Feb 2016 19:41:44 GMT

There is a column Customer name with first and last names together. not all the values have both first and/or last names. Want to know how many of them truly have both first and last names. They are separated by spaces.

Re: Check if name has first and last name

mohamed_zaki — Thu, 04 Feb 2016 19:52:57 GMT

You can use COUNTW()

Example:

data want;
set have;
Fullname=(COUNTW(name)>1);
run;

Re: Check if name has first and last name

LinusH — Thu, 04 Feb 2016 19:54:59 GMT

"Truly" is a strong word. What locale do your names belong to?

Re: Check if name has first and last name

mohamed_zaki — Thu, 04 Feb 2016 20:04:20 GMT

proc sql;
select "Full Names",sum(COUNTW(name)>1) as N
from have
;
quit;

Re: Check if name has first and last name

SASKiwi — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 00:27:55 GMT

You can count the words in a name but you can't accurately check if they have both first and last name.

For example is Bruce Roger two first names or a first name and a last name? Either of these names could be a first name or a last name.

Another: Van Hurst - is this a first name and a last name or a two word last name?

Re: Check if name has first and last name

LinusH — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 07:06:56 GMT

Yes that's what I was getting at.
You need a data quality tool like data flux to manage this.

Re: Check if name has first and last name

SASPhile — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 13:28:12 GMT

only way is to check the length before and after compressing the name. if they are equal then either names is missing,