topic Create Season Variable from Months in New SAS User

Create Season Variable from Months

na_sas — Sat, 30 Mar 2019 16:08:11 GMT

Hi everyone!

I wanted to create season variable from months but I get error or I just have Winter or Fall:

I'd appreciate if you'd help me ... Thanks!

data a.hospital1;
set a.hospital;
length Season $10;
if Month in ('March','April','May') then Season='Spring';
else if Month in ('June','July','August') then Season='Summer';
else if Month in ('September','October','November') then Season='Fall';
else Season='Winter';
run;

I've tried this one too:

data a.hospital1;
set a.hospital;
length Season $10;
if (month='January') then season='Winter';
else if (month='February') then season='Winter';
else if (month='March') then season='Winter';
else if (month='April') then season='Spring';
else if (month='May') then season='Spring';
else if (month='June') then season='Spring';
else if (month='July') then season='Summer';
else if (month='August') then season='Summer';
else if (month='September') then season='Summer';
else if (month='October') then season='Fall';
else if (month='November') then season='Fall';
else season='Fall';
run;

Re: Create Season Variable from Months

Kurt_Bremser — Sat, 30 Mar 2019 16:13:09 GMT

create a format or
use a select block

If you get ERRORs or other problems, post the log, using the {i} button.

Re: Create Season Variable from Months

PeterClemmensen — Sat, 30 Mar 2019 16:39:25 GMT

Welcome to the SAS Communities 🙂

Here is a format approach

proc format lib=work;
   value $season 'December', 'January', 'February'  = 'Winter'
                 'March', 'April', 'May'            = 'Spring'
                 'June', 'July', 'August'           = 'Summer'
                 'September', 'October', 'November' = 'Fall'
                 other                              = 'N/A'
;
run;

data have;
input Month $20.;
datalines;
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
NotAMonth
;

data want;
   set have;
   Season=put(Month, $Season.);
run;

proc print data=want;
run;

Re: Create Season Variable from Months

VDD — Sat, 30 Mar 2019 17:12:30 GMT

In you first data step, I would not use this line as my last else statement.

else Season='Winter';

in your second data step the same thing is happening but you set Season = "Fall";

if your records have data like "DECEMBER", "Dec", "MARCH", "MAR: they would all be set to Winter.

use the last else statement to catch any data that has errors based on the prior statement.

like this

else Season = 'Error';

Does month always have mixed case data?

maybe upcase the test like this

if upcase(substr(month,1,3)) in ('JAN','FEB',MAR') then Season = "Winter";

You also have winter defined as containing defernent months in the 2 data steps.

Re: Create Season Variable from Months

PGStats — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 03:08:05 GMT

Taking a few precautions should help:

data a.hospital1;
set a.hospital;
length Season $10;
select (propcase(month));
    when ('March','April','May') Season='Spring';
    when ('June','July','August') Season='Summer';
    when ('September','October','November') Season='Fall';
    when ('December','January','February') Season='Winter';
    otherwise Season='Error';
    end;
run;