Create an array with dimensions from another existing array

rdum96 — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 03:44:22 GMT

Hi,

I have a dataset with existing variables category_1-category_n. I want to create another array 'price' being price_1-price_n. Depending on the which version of the data I'm using the value of 'n' can change.

I tried this:

array cats $ category: ;

array price {dim(cats)} price:;

which did not work. Would there be a way to achieve this?

Re: Create an array with dimensions from another existing array

Tom — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 03:54:14 GMT

To define new variables you need to know how many to create BEFORE that data step even starts running so there is no way the syntax you proposed could work (even if SAS modified the language to allow it).

You might try this method to create a macro variable first and then use that in the data step.

data _null_;
  if 0 set have ;
  array cats category: ;
  call symputx('nvars',dim(cats));
  stop;
run;
data want;
  set have ;
  array cats category: ;
  array price [&nvars] ;
  ...

topic Re: Create an array with dimensions from another existing array in SAS Programming

Create an array with dimensions from another existing array

Re: Create an array with dimensions from another existing array