topic Dataset Name starting with number in New SAS User

Dataset Name starting with number

Kamal5522 — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 05:19:40 GMT

As we know that we can not use special character in name of data set and variable etc because special character are used as operators so they are not allowed in name,however number can be used in name however name can not be started with number.
My question is why we can not start dataset and variable name with number, actually I want to know the logic behind it ?

Re: Dataset Name starting with number

Kurt_Bremser — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 05:46:26 GMT

The SAS interpreter and data step compiler treat every digit encountered after a separator (blank, comma, semicolon, linefeed etc) as the start of a number. The rules for names in the SAS language are very similar to other programming languages (eg C, PL/1, PASCAL) and aid compiler/interpreter design.

Re: Dataset Name starting with number

Ksharp — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 12:21:48 GMT

Maybe You could use dataset/variable name start with number.

Try this option.

options validmemname=extend validvarname=any;