topic Re: Convert one column datato many columns in SAS Programming

Convert one column datato many columns

jonatan_velarde — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 10:02:25 GMT

Good morning:

i have this data set:

Question	Sex	yes_no
1	male	1
1	male	1
1	male	0
1	male	0
1	male	0
1	male	0
1	male	0
2	male	1
2	male	1
2	male	1
2	male	0
2	male	0
2	male	0
2	male	0
3	male	1
3	male	1
3	male	1
3	male	1
3	male	1
3	male	0

and i need to obtain this one, as follows:

Sex	Question_1	Question_2	Question_3
male	1	1	1
male	1	1	1
male	0	1	1
male	0	0	1
male	0	0	1
male	0	0	0
male	0	0	.

Thanks in advance

Re: Convert one column datato many columns

NicoM — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 10:07:29 GMT

Have you tried using PROC TRANSPOSE? You can accomplish what you want using that procedure. You can find some basic examples in this document: 060-2009: Learn the Basics of PROC TRANSPOSE (sas.com).

Re: Convert one column datato many columns

Kurt_Bremser — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 11:11:55 GMT

data have;
input question sex $ yes_no;
datalines;
1 male  1
1 male  1
1 male  0
1 male  0
1 male  0
1 male  0
1 male  0
2 male  1
2 male  1
2 male  1
2 male  0
2 male  0
2 male  0
2 male  0
3 male  1
3 male  1
3 male  1
3 male  1
3 male  1
3 male  0
;

data want;
if 0 then set have (keep=sex); /* sets attributes */
call missing(sex,question_1,question_2,question_3);
merge
  have (
    rename=(yes_no=question_1)
    where=(question = 1)
  )
  have (
    rename=(yes_no=question_2)
    where=(question = 2)
  )
  have (
    rename=(yes_no=question_3)
    where=(question = 3)
  )
;
drop question;
run;

Please note how example data is presented in a data step with datalines; this removes any doubts about content or variable attributes. Do so in the future. It's basic courtesy towards your helpers.

Re: Convert one column datato many columns

andreas_lds — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 11:16:11 GMT

The table you want looks like a report and not like a dataset. Are you sure, that you need the wide structure for further processing?

Re: Convert one column datato many columns

FreelanceReinh — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 12:10:27 GMT

Hello @jonatan_velarde,

Here is an example illustrating NicoM's suggestion:

proc transpose data=have out=trans(drop=_:);
by sex question;
var yes_no;
run;

proc transpose data=trans out=want(drop=_:) prefix=Question_;
by sex;
id question;
var col:;
run;

The first step assumes that HAVE is sorted by sex question, which is the case for your sample data.

Re: Convert one column datato many columns

ballardw — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 13:54:39 GMT

If this is at all related to this thread https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Programming/Convert-data-set-from-summary-to-full-data/m-p/728565 where you convert summary data into an arbitrary ordered set by categorical variables then the target set is invalid for any sort of analysis. You are creating an artificial association between the values of the question variables.

Really.

If you do not have the individual level data to start with then your entire approach is going to be so flawed I can't describe it.

There are some things that might be possible with something like Proc Mixed and similar procedures but your "created from summary to individual level data" is misrepresenting the information.