topic Re: Find and select unknown name in XML based character field in SAS Programming

Find and select unknown name in XML based character field

pandhandj — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 12:11:51 GMT

Hi Guys,

I am stuck (again) and could do with some help please.

I have a character variable which is taken from an XML file. Within this variableis a name, i dont know what the is, or where it is located within th variable. I nned to select the name and then place it into a new variable.

this is an edited example of the variable (to remove any propietry data) -

...2001/XMLSchema"><Test><Overall>98</Overall><Score>98</Score><Source>Data</Source><Data>TRUMP, DONALD<br/>19xx-xx-xx<br/><br/><br/></Data><Cause><a href="http://...

the name is always marked by <Data> (only instance in variable) and is always ended by the "<br/&gt" marker (there are more instances of this marker later in the field).

I have been using the code below, it can select the name, but i cant get it to stop selecting after the name, so i end up with all the XML stuff after the name.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

thanks in advance,

paul

data want;
set have;
iname = index(var,'<Data>');
name = substr(var, iname + 6, '<br/&gt');
drop iname;
run;

Re: Find and select unknown name in XML based character field

Kurt_Bremser — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 12:24:48 GMT

The third argument to substr() (the length) needs to be a number, so you must calculate that by subtracting the position of the first character of the name from the position of '<br/&gt' in your string.

Re: Find and select unknown name in XML based character field

pandhandj — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 13:23:51 GMT

HI Kurt,

thanks for your answer, unfortunatley i dont know the name, so i cant work out the lenght.

I tried using scan to select individual words from the name, but i also dont know the naming format (first name, last name or last name, middle name, first name, second name, or any combination), which then gives me problems when i try to re-combine the words...

paul

Re: Find and select unknown name in XML based character field

pandhandj — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 13:29:08 GMT

HI Kurt,

I have just worked out what you mean!

I have the start position of the name, so if i work out the position of the & and then substr from start to the &, i will be left with the name?

I will give that a try,

thanks,

paul

Re: Find and select unknown name in XML based character field

Kurt_Bremser — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 14:48:06 GMT

A quick example:

data test;
x1 = '<Source>Data</Source><Data>TRUMP, DONALD&lt;br/&gt;19xx-xx-xx&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;</Data>';
begin = index(x1,'<Data>')+6;
end = index(x1,'&lt;br/&gt;');
x2 = substr(x1,begin,end - begin);
run;

If the reference string for the end

&lt;br/&gt;

appears anywhere before the reference string for the beginning

<Data>

you will have to substr x1 first so that it actually starts at "begin".

Re: Find and select unknown name in XML based character field

pandhandj — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 16:06:56 GMT

Hi Kurt,

I have got it going

If we ever meet up, a few glasses of your favourite tipple are on me!

all the best,

paul