topic Re: Extracting words from a string after a specific character in SAS Programming

Extracting words from a string after a specific character

kmardinian — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 20:21:33 GMT

Hi, I have a variable called "comment" that contains a string of words that are separated by '~'

example:

comment

text text text text ~ text text

text text text text text ~ text text text ~text text

I would like to extract the text after the first ~ without losing the text behind the second or third or fourth ~ etc.

I tried using this code:

cm=scan(comment,1,"~");

But it only extracts the text after the first ~ and then stops once it reaches the second ~

Any help is much appreciated!

Reeza — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 20:26:15 GMT

Use INDEX() to find the first tilda and then use that number in SUBSTR().
Double check the order of t

cm = substr(comment, index(comment, '~') +1);

kmardinian — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 20:34:00 GMT

Hi Reeza,

Thank you for the quick response. Out of curiosity, what does the +1 signify?

Reeza — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 20:50:18 GMT

INDEX would find the ~, so if you substring from that it includes the ~, +1 gives you the position after the first ~.