How do I fix Error 20-200 and 20-322 for renaming variables in a data step?

Jiordani — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 18:11:00 GMT

Hello, I've been trying to rename all the variables that start with a state, and end with something like !!Housholds!!Estimate and I keep getting the Error 20-200 saying:

"Alphabetic prefixes for enumerated variables (Alabama-Estimate) are different.

Old and new variable name specifications for RENAME must be of the same type. Statement is ignored.

And Error 22-322 says:

Syntax error, expecting one of the following: -, :, =.

The symbol is not recognized and will be ignored.

I want to change all the variables to a shorted postal abbreviation of the corresponding state. For example I want the variable Alabama!!Housholds!!Estimate to be just AL.

Also, none of my data copied from the first data set to the second dataset, but I created that second dataset. The second dataset just has all of the original variables, but with no observations. Can I get help getting all my data to be copied over to the new dataset?

This one is the output of the first dataset RegPro.IncoSt

This one is the output of the second dataset RegPro.IncoSt1

Re: How do I fix Error 20-200 and 20-322 for renaming variables in a data step?

PaigeMiller — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 18:21:27 GMT

Variable name with any characters other than letters, digit or underscore must be represented differently.

First, you need

options validvarname=any;

Maybe this has been turned on already, I don't know, it can't hurt to issue that command anyway.

Then, for example, you need to enclose such variable names with the unusual characters with quotes and append the letter n on the end, such as

'Alabama!!Households!!Estimate'n

Of course, if you spell the name wrong (which you have done), then it still won't work. Proper spelling is required.

You might want to request that the person/department providing this data not give the variables such horrible (in my opinion) names.

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How do I fix Error 20-200 and 20-322 for renaming variables in a data step?

Re: How do I fix Error 20-200 and 20-322 for renaming variables in a data step?