https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Programming/Creating-a-character-string-from-different-records-within-a-BY/m-p/69642#M15096 Create a second file with the BY var list, using a DATA step, and define a RETAIN statement for the "concatenated string" variable. You will want to explore using the FIRST.<BREAK_VARIABLE> and LAST.<BREAK_VARIABLE> technique to assign or concatenate (either using || or !! for your concatenation operator), creating your new variable. Then use a DATA step MERGE process to combine your original file with the second file, placing your new variable back on the original file, as needed.<BR /> <BR /> You can search the SAS support <A href="http://support.sas.com/" target="_blank">http://support.sas.com/</A> website using the Google advanced argument below to find related SAS-hosted documentation and other technical reference papers on the subject:<BR /> <BR /> data step by processing first last site:sas.com<BR /> <BR /> <BR /> Scott Barry<BR /> SBBWorks, Inc.</BREAK_VARIABLE></BREAK_VARIABLE> Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:41:29 GMT sbb 2009-09-06T03:41:29Z https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Programming/Creating-a-character-string-from-different-records-within-a-BY/m-p/69641#M15095 Hi,<BR /> <BR /> I'm trying to string together all values for a particular character variable that are observed within a BY group. For example, if i have the following data for the three observations within a BY group:<BR /> <BR /> id1 aa<BR /> id2 bb<BR /> id3 cc<BR /> <BR /> How would I create a character string variable with the value "aa-bb-cc" that would be reported as such for all three observations within the BY group?<BR /> Thanks so much,<BR /> NG Sun, 06 Sep 2009 02:02:35 GMT https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Programming/Creating-a-character-string-from-different-records-within-a-BY/m-p/69641#M15095 deleted_user 2009-09-06T02:02:35Z https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Programming/Creating-a-character-string-from-different-records-within-a-BY/m-p/69642#M15096 Create a second file with the BY var list, using a DATA step, and define a RETAIN statement for the "concatenated string" variable. You will want to explore using the FIRST.<BREAK_VARIABLE> and LAST.<BREAK_VARIABLE> technique to assign or concatenate (either using || or !! for your concatenation operator), creating your new variable. Then use a DATA step MERGE process to combine your original file with the second file, placing your new variable back on the original file, as needed.<BR /> <BR /> You can search the SAS support <A href="http://support.sas.com/" target="_blank">http://support.sas.com/</A> website using the Google advanced argument below to find related SAS-hosted documentation and other technical reference papers on the subject:<BR /> <BR /> data step by processing first last site:sas.com<BR /> <BR /> <BR /> Scott Barry<BR /> SBBWorks, Inc.</BREAK_VARIABLE></BREAK_VARIABLE> Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:41:29 GMT https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Programming/Creating-a-character-string-from-different-records-within-a-BY/m-p/69642#M15096 sbb 2009-09-06T03:41:29Z