topic Re: Duplicate Column Error when Merging? in SAS Data Management

Duplicate Column Error when Merging?

christinagting0 — Fri, 24 Jun 2016 19:24:48 GMT

Hi everyone,

I'm so close to finishing this!

My very last step is giving me this error:

Duplicate column names have been detected in the above query which requested that
CORRESPONDING column names be matched. This situation is ambiguous.

How the heck do I fix this? do I have to delete all duplicate column names somehow?

Is there a way to find all the duplicate column names in SAS?

Re: Duplicate Column Error when Merging?

PGStats — Fri, 24 Jun 2016 22:08:50 GMT

Use aliases to make the column names distinct.

Re: Duplicate Column Error when Merging?

christinagting0 — Sun, 26 Jun 2016 16:35:48 GMT

Hi PG,

Can you or someone else please elaborate on this answer?

Why do I need to make the column names distinct? By Column names are you rerferring to the Variable names (i.e., making the variable names distinct)?

So for example I have the following variabels from 2 separate datasets that I'm trying to merge into one:

Dataset 1

Variable A Variable B Variable C

Dataset 2

Variable A Variable B Variable C

I want to merge these two datasets and all 3 variables. So Variable A from dataset 1 and 2 are in one column in the final merged dataset.

This is why I don't understand why I need to make the column names distinct b/c I don't want them to be distinct. Unless I am misunderstanding the solution?

Can someone please explain to me in basic terms and with basic examples?

Thank you so much

When I am merging the 2 datasets I want all 3 variables to be merged together

Re: Duplicate Column Error when Merging?

LinusH — Sun, 26 Jun 2016 17:29:42 GMT

Can you please attach the SAS program/log...

Re: Duplicate Column Error when Merging?

PGStats — Sun, 26 Jun 2016 17:41:17 GMT

I don't fully understand how you got the message "Duplicate column names have been detected in the above query which requested that
CORRESPONDING column names be matched." since I didn't see the query in question. But I figure that if you get the names to be distinct, you will understand what's going on.