topic Re: Converting numeric to character in SAS Programming

Converting numeric to character

Dhana18 — Fri, 02 Nov 2018 16:13:11 GMT

I am trying to convert a numeric variable eg 123654 to character. i used this code

data CDCDATA.Finaldata_CDC_ptid;
set CDCDATA.Finaldata_CDC;
patientid = put(cl_patientid,8.);
run;

th slog says;

/*Reformating numeric Patient ID to Character format*/
data CDCDATA.Finaldata_CDC_ptid;
set CDCDATA.Finaldata_CDC;
patientid = put(cl_patientid,8.);
run;

the variable did not change to character. What is wrong with my code?

Re: Converting numeric to character

novinosrin — Fri, 02 Nov 2018 16:18:57 GMT

can you post your log for the program

Re: Converting numeric to character

ballardw — Fri, 02 Nov 2018 16:28:06 GMT

@Dhana18 wrote:

I am trying to convert a numeric variable eg 123654 to character. i used this code

data CDCDATA.Finaldata_CDC_ptid;
set CDCDATA.Finaldata_CDC;
patientid = put(cl_patientid,8.);
run;

th slog says;

/*Reformating numeric Patient ID to Character format*/
data CDCDATA.Finaldata_CDC_ptid;
set CDCDATA.Finaldata_CDC;
patientid = put(cl_patientid,8.);
run;

the variable did not change to character. What is wrong with my code?

Did you already have a variable patiend9d in the dataset? If so you cannot change the TYPE once it is created. You likely have a note like this:

NOTE: Character values have been converted to numeric values at the places given by:
      (Line):(Column).

That means you attempted to assign a character value (the put) into a numeric variable and was converted so that the existing numeric variable could hold the new value, assuming it would convert.

Question: Why the concern over it being character or numeric?

Re: Converting numeric to character

Dhana18 — Fri, 02 Nov 2018 16:33:43 GMT

I did not get any note.

Re: Converting numeric to character

ballardw — Fri, 02 Nov 2018 16:46:52 GMT

@Dhana18 wrote:
I did not get any note.

So, how do you know it did not "change to character"?

Show use your log from running your code. Copy from the log and paste into a code box opened using the forum's {I} icon. Include all the notes at the end of the data step.