proc import option to read multiple spaces as single space?

mcook — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 14:53:54 GMT

Is there a way to import a space delimited txt file, where it will read multiple consecutive spaces as a single delimiter?

Re: proc import option to read multiple spaces as single space?

Reeza — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 15:21:39 GMT

That should be the default behaviour.

You would use DSD to override that behaviour.

You don't get much control over how to import your data with PROC IMPORT - if it's not reading data correctly the following is usually what I do:

Change Guessingrows to a large number for text files
Copy the code from the log and modify it to fix the data as needed - this is the easiest method
Write my own data step to read the data manually.

@mcook wrote:

Is there a way to import a space delimited txt file, where it will read multiple consecutive spaces as a single delimiter?