topic Re: Error: Variable has been defined as both character and numeric in SAS Programming

Error: Variable has been defined as both character and numeric

GeetVish — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 14:50:03 GMT

Hello All

I am trying to append two datasets and i am having an error saying XY variables has been defined as both charcter and numeric. The values are all numeric and some missing like blanks and dots but i want to be numeric.Kindly help, please see the code below with the error message :-

Data abc;
set sourc.data1 sourc.data2;
Result=input(XY ,best.);
run;

ERROR: Variable XY has been defined as both character and numeric.

WARNING: Variable Result has already been defined as numeric.

Re: Error: Variable has been defined as both character and numeric

PeterClemmensen — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 15:13:12 GMT

The error message pretty much says it all. Please run this

proc contents data=sourc.data1;
run;

proc contents data=sourc.data2;
run;

and see the variables section. Then convert the XY variable in one of the data sets accordingly.

@GeetVish , please let me know if this solved your problem or you need further assistance. Remember that the INPUT Function requires a character argument 🙂

Re: Error: Variable has been defined as both character and numeric

GeetVish — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 15:19:19 GMT

H dray
I am getting all the values as dots now.:(

Re: Error: Variable has been defined as both character and numeric

PeterClemmensen — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 15:21:21 GMT

Please be more specific about what you did and what your data looks like. Did you convert a variable? And what does your log say now?

Re: Error: Variable has been defined as both character and numeric

GeetVish — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 15:25:03 GMT

Sorry i am working and messaging thats why its short.

So i found which data set has character variables and i am converting that into numeric. I have the variable values as yes , No, slight, exactly and many numbers . When i did the input(XY, best.) i am getting the new variable as just dots.

Re: Error: Variable has been defined as both character and numeric

PeterClemmensen — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 15:40:01 GMT

Can you show me some of your data? Please run


proc print data=sourc.data1;
run;

and post the result..

Re: Error: Variable has been defined as both character and numeric

GeetVish — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 16:03:54 GMT

Please see below

Re: Error: Variable has been defined as both character and numeric

PeterClemmensen — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 16:08:05 GMT

So that is your XY variable or? It is clearly a character variable. It makes no sense to represent these values as numbers.

I may misunderstand you requirement entirely. However, please be more specific if you want a usable code answer.

Re: Error: Variable has been defined as both character and numeric

GeetVish — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 16:09:27 GMT

Yes its my XY variable. i need all the values to stay same and need to be in numeric way.

Re: Error: Variable has been defined as both character and numeric

PeterClemmensen — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 16:19:41 GMT

First of all, I can barely see any of your data in the attached file.

But let's take a value that I actually can see. You have a character value of "value=60-177". What do you want the numerical representation of that value to be? The data seems very unstructured and you can not simply represent the variable XY as numbers.

Re: Error: Variable has been defined as both character and numeric

GeetVish — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 16:33:11 GMT

Ok i will think and let you know. Thanks for your guidance .Will come again