topic Re: "ERROR: Variable Patient_ID has been defined as both character and numeric." while mer in New SAS User

"ERROR: Variable Patient_ID has been defined as both character and numeric." while merging dataset

Nilesh1603 — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 05:12:26 GMT

I have a Data set as below.

1) Data Project2.Patient_Demographics;
Input Patient_ID $1-6
Age 7-9
Gender $11
Race $ 12-17
Ethnicity $ 18-30;
Datalines;
00001 54 M White Non-Hispanic
00002 42 F Black Hispanic
00003 67 M Asian Non-Hispanic
00004 35 F White Hispanic
00005 72 F Other Non-Hispanic
00006 28 M White Non-Hispanic
00007 56 F Black Non-Hispanic
00008 41 M Asian Hispanic
00009 63 F Other Hispanic
00010 39 M White Non-Hispanic
00011 45 F Black Non-Hispanic
00012 58 M Asian Non-Hispanic
00013 29 F White Non-Hispanic
00014 64 F Other Non-Hispanic
00015 32 M White Non-Hispanic
;
run;

2) Data Project2.treatment_details;
input patient_id 1-5
treatment_type & :$20.
start_date :mmddyy10.
end_date :mmddyy10.
response & :$20.;
datalines;
00001 Chemotherapy 01/01/2023 03/31/2023 Partial Response
00002 Immunotherapy 02/15/2023 05/15/2023 Complete Response
00003 Targeted Therapy 03/01/2023 06/30/2023 Stable Disease
00004 Chemotherapy 04/10/2023 07/10/2023 Progressive Disease
00005 Immunotherapy 05/20/2023 08/20/2023 Partial Response
00006 Chemotherapy 06/01/2023 09/30/2023 Complete Response
00007 Targeted Therapy 07/15/2023 10/15/2023 Stable Disease
00008 Chemotherapy 08/10/2023 11/10/2023 Progressive Disease
00009 Immunotherapy 09/20/2023 12/20/2023 Partial Response
00010 Targeted Therapy 10/01/2023 01/31/2024 Complete Response
run;

Query: But when I am trying to merge the data by below query, OI am getting below error.

"ERROR: Variable Patient_ID has been defined as both character and numeric."

data merged_data;
merge patient_demographics treatment_details;
by patient_id;
run;

Please help me with this.

Re: "ERROR: Variable Patient_ID has been defined as both character and numeric." while mer

Patrick — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 05:19:34 GMT

Your 2nd data step as posted executes with errors. Is this just creating sample data or what you're really doing?

Re: "ERROR: Variable Patient_ID has been defined as both character and numeric." while mer

Nilesh1603 — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 05:32:10 GMT

I have started SAS base course and this is the Chapter exercise

Re: "ERROR: Variable Patient_ID has been defined as both character and numeric." while mer

Patrick — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 05:38:57 GMT

@Nilesh1603 wrote:
I have started SAS base course and this is the Chapter exercise

The 2nd data step as posted can't work. Are you sure you copy/pasted this code from training material 1:1?

Is this official SAS training? And if so: Which one?

@Cynthia_sas Sorry, forgot where people get support for SAS training questions.

Re: "ERROR: Variable Patient_ID has been defined as both character and numeric." while mer

Kurt_Bremser — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 08:51:33 GMT

Whenever you need to post code, copy/paste it from the source into a window opened with the "little running man" button. The main posting window will reformat the text, e.g. by reducing multiple blanks to one.

The & modifier in the INPUT statement needs two consef'cutive blanks as delimiter to work.

Your second DATA step reads patient_id as numeric. Maybe fixing that mistake is part of the exercise.

Re: "ERROR: Variable Patient_ID has been defined as both character and numeric." while mer

Cynthia_sas — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 17:27:21 GMT

Hi:
If the student is reporting a problem with one of our SAS Education e-learning classes, then they can report the problem to elearn@sas.com and the instructors on duty will investigate and help.
Cynthia