topic Re: function to change character strings into acceptable variable name format? in SAS Programming

function to change character strings into acceptable variable name format?

mcook — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 21:39:18 GMT

Is there a function to replace all characters that are not letters, numbers or underscores, to an underscore?

I am nearly certain i've run across one before, and used it. But I have been unable to find it again.

I recall the function having at least 3 arguments, one of them being modifiers, allowing you to select all letters and numbers to the list of acceptable characters.

I thought it was TranWrd but that does not have a modifiers argument. Same with Translate.

any ideas?

Re: function to change character strings into acceptable variable name format?

ballardw — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 22:13:01 GMT

If you are getting such characters in variable names then it has something with how you are reading the data and I strongly suspect Proc Import.

Very simple to prevent: Options validvarname=V7;

prior to proc import.

That will force Proc import to create variable names compatible with the SAS version 7, i.e. no characters other than letters, digits and _.

Much easier to prevent than to correct later.

Re: function to change character strings into acceptable variable name format?

Reeza — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 22:38:16 GMT

NLITERAL function?

NVALID function may also be useful.

COMPRESS() is the only function I can think that comes close to what you've described but I agree with @ballardw that changing how you import your data is a better overall solution.

Re: function to change character strings into acceptable variable name format?

PGStats — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 23:35:10 GMT

You can always do:

str_ = prxchange("s/[[:^alnum:]]/_/o", -1, strip(str));

Re: function to change character strings into acceptable variable name format?

Ksharp — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 11:23:15 GMT

str_ = prxchange("s/\W/_/o", -1, strip(str));