topic Re: Create a new variable based on two others in SAS Programming

Create a new variable based on two others

ramgouveia — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 14:03:33 GMT

I have this dataset

and I want to create a new variable based on C3 and C3_F.

When C3 has a value I want this value. When not, like the green example shown, I want the C3_F value.

Can you help me please?

Re: Create a new variable based on two others

Patrick — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 00:28:08 GMT

You could use the coalescec() function documented here.

Re: Create a new variable based on two others

ramgouveia — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 11:52:57 GMT

Patrick

The link doesn't work.

Re: Create a new variable based on two others

Patrick — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 12:02:07 GMT

The link works for me.

Here how this could look like in a data step. Make sure to define the length of new_var long enough to hold the string (=the greater length of your two source variables)

length new_var $20;
new_var=coalescec(cae3,cae3_fue);

Re: Create a new variable based on two others

andreas_lds — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 12:26:53 GMT

@Patrick the link does not work:

Whitelabel Error Page

This application has no explicit mapping for /error, so you are seeing this as a fallback.

Wed Apr 07 12:26:11 UTC 2021

There was an unexpected error (type=Not Found, status=404).

Re: Create a new variable based on two others

Kurt_Bremser — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 12:31:44 GMT

I took the liberty to update the link, it should work now everywhere.

(I just copy/pasted the link that I get from the documentation website, I have no clue what was wrong)

Re: Create a new variable based on two others

ramgouveia — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 14:04:58 GMT

Thank you very much @Patrick !

It worked!

I used this code:

DATA D;
set D;
length C3_E $20.;
C3_E=coalescec(c3,c3_f);
run;

Re: Create a new variable based on two others

Patrick — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 00:28:35 GMT

Thank you.

Re: Create a new variable based on two others

Patrick — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 00:32:36 GMT

Don't just use the length of $20 from my sample but chose a length which matches your source variables. If the length is too short then you will truncate the string, if it's too long then you're wasting space.

You can run below script. Then look-up in the report what lengths your two source variables have and use the bigger of the two values in the length statement for your new variable.

proc contents data=DEM_MES.MERGEEFATURADMRSS202001;
run;quit;