topic proc export to CSV - keep leading spaces in SAS Programming

proc export to CSV - keep leading spaces

mthomas0 — Mon, 09 Jul 2018 13:07:25 GMT

Is there an option within Proc Export that will keep leading spaces if they exist in a field.

Re: proc export to CSV - keep leading spaces

Kurt_Bremser — Mon, 09 Jul 2018 13:41:52 GMT

Write your own data step, and use the $char format:

data have;
x1 = "    xxxx";
format x1 $char8.;
x2 = 5;
run;

data _null_;
set have;
file '$HOME/sascommunity/want.csv';
if _n_ = 1 then put "x1,x2";
put x1 $char8. ',' x2;
run;

The file looks like this:

x1,x2
    xxxx,5

PS the simple $8. format will also work, as long as you use formatted output.

Re: proc export to CSV - keep leading spaces

mthomas0 — Mon, 09 Jul 2018 14:09:14 GMT

thanks, this will work. However, it would be simpler if there was an option on Proc Export to preserve leading spaces/blank as additional code has to be written in order for this solution to work.

Re: proc export to CSV - keep leading spaces

Tom — Mon, 09 Jul 2018 14:29:12 GMT

Normally leading/trailing spaces in CSV files are removed by the consumer.

Why do you want to preserve them?

Re: proc export to CSV - keep leading spaces

mthomas0 — Mon, 09 Jul 2018 14:35:58 GMT

the spaces need to be preserved as information in certain parts of the column have meaning. For example, position 50 of a column has meaning but all of the other columns could be blank. In that case, without modifying the export, the leading spaces are being trimmed thus compromising the information.

Re: proc export to CSV - keep leading spaces

Tom — Mon, 09 Jul 2018 15:02:38 GMT

Then why not create a fixed column output file instead?