topic Re: Quote function and format giving 3 double quotes when we output using proc export in SAS Programming

Quote function and format giving 3 double quotes when we output using proc export

vijay1 — Mon, 07 Jan 2019 14:53:34 GMT

We have a requirement to enclose a variable values in double quotes and output a txt file.
To do that we have used quote function and also quote format. They look fine in the SAS but when we output using proc export its giving the 3 double quotes instead of single double quote before and after the variable value.

We are using the below code as example:
data fr;
set sashelp.cars;
/*format model quote.;*/

model=quote(model);
run;

filename test 'path\T1.txt' ;
proc export data = fr
outfile = test
DBMS=tab REPLACE;
run;

Expected variable value- "value"
Quote function result -"""value"
Quote format result-"""value"""

Re: Quote function and format giving 3 double quotes when we output using proc export

andreas_lds — Mon, 07 Jan 2019 15:22:56 GMT

Fascinating: proc exports quotes the quotes. Same happens, when using the quote-format in a datastep using file and put to export the data. Using quote + strip seems to create the expected result.

data _null_;
   set sashelp.cars;
   file "PATH\T1.txt";
   length Buffer $ 250;

   Buffer = catx('09'x,  Make,  quote(strip(Model)), Type, Origin, DriveTrain, MSRP, Invoice,
      EngineSize, Cylinders, Horsepower, MPG_City, MPG_Highway, Weight, Wheelbase, Length);

   put Buffer;
run;

Re: Quote function and format giving 3 double quotes when we output using proc export

data_null__ — Mon, 07 Jan 2019 15:24:47 GMT

You're not getting what you think from QUOTE function. READ THE DOCUMENTATION.

QUOTE quotes the entire value including trailing blanks and when the value is assigned back the variable length is not sufficient.