topic Re: adding a counter to a data set in SAS Programming

adding a counter to a data set

GreggB — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 20:03:56 GMT

Data set one:

first last UID

tom jones 1

elvis pressley 2

frank sinatra 3

Data set two:

first last

Ella Fitzgerald

Doris Day

I want to combine the 2 data sets and start assigning the UID where data set one leaves off. So, Ella has UID = 4 , Doris has UID = 5 and so on.

Re: adding a counter to a data set

novinosrin — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 20:23:48 GMT

Hi @GreggB Not sure of your objective, do you mean append as combine??



Data  one;
input (first  last) (:$10.)   UID;
cards;
tom        jones           1
elvis       pressley       2
frank       sinatra         3 
;


data two;
input (first        last) (:$10.);
cards;
Ella        Fitzgerald
Doris      Day
;

data want;
 set one two(in=b);
  if b then uid=_iorc_+1;
 _iorc_=uid;
run;

Re: adding a counter to a data set

PaigeMiller — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 20:42:31 GMT

I would use

data want;
 set one two(in=b);
  if b then uid=_n_;
run;

or even simpler

data want;
 set one two;
 uid=_n_;
run;

@novinosrin can you explain how using _iorc_ works here? I wouldn't normally think of using it except to check the status of an I/O operation for errors.

@GreggB are the UID numbers in data set ONE always consecutive integers starting with 1?

Re: adding a counter to a data set

novinosrin — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 21:03:40 GMT

Just like any other freely available variable in a process like you said if and only if when we are not using any I/O operations otherwise _N_ is rather a safe bet.

The advantage i find in _iorc_ is automatic retain across datastep iterations as opposed to _n_ and i have gotten used to it.

So Auto retain and auto drop = lazy me a done deal 🙂