topic Re: Converting character to numeric in SAS Programming

Converting character to numeric

saza — Sun, 10 Apr 2022 14:25:54 GMT

Was asked to make many character variables into numeric ones but cannot seem to run my code. The question is asking me to make a new variable called "HTC_STATn" which equals 1 is there new patients as the value and 0 is there is established patients.

When I run this code the dataset is blank

data temp2;
set demomed;
If htc_stat= "established patient" then HTC_STATn="0";
If htc_stat= "new patient" then HTC_STATn= "1";
run;

data temp2;
set demomed;
If htc_stat= "established patient" then HTC_STATn="0";
If htc_stat= "new patient" then HTC_STATn= "1";
If htc_stat= "transfer patient" then HTC_STATn= "1";
If hepther = "y" HEPTHERn= "1";
If hepther = "n" HEPTHERn= "0";
If Htype = "hemophilia a" then HTYPEn = "0";
If Htype = "hemophilia b" then HTYPEn = "1";
If Hlevel = 'mild' then Hleveln = "0";
If Hlevel = 'moderate' then Hleveln = "1";
If Hlevel = 'severe' then Hleveln = "2";
run;

Re: Converting character to numeric

StatDave — Sun, 10 Apr 2022 14:29:45 GMT

The CtoN macro is a general tool for character to numeric conversion. Your specific code just creates a new character variable with character values "0" and "1". If you want it to be numeric, remove the quotes:

If htc_stat= "established patient" then HTC_STATn=0;
If htc_stat= "new patient" then HTC_STATn= 1;

Re: Converting character to numeric

saza — Sun, 10 Apr 2022 14:35:04 GMT

I did there but I still am getting a syntax error stating that i'm missing symbols within if/then statements?

Re: Converting character to numeric

Kurt_Bremser — Sun, 10 Apr 2022 15:04:20 GMT

Please post the complete (all code and messages) by copy/pasting the log text into a window opened with this button:

Re: Converting character to numeric

Tom — Sun, 10 Apr 2022 16:21:51 GMT

The question is asking me to make a new variable called "HTC_STATn" which equals 1 is there new patients as the value and 0 is there is established patients.

SAS return a 1 or 0 as the result of a boolean expression. So just use:

data temp2;
  set demomed;
  HTC_STATn = (htc_stat= "new patient");
run;

Re: Converting character to numeric

ballardw — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 02:23:46 GMT

@saza wrote:

When I run this code the dataset is blank

Show us the results of running Proc Contents on the data set DEMOMED.

If the result data set is blank that strongly suggests that the source data set was as well.

a bit like :

HTC_STATn="0";

Does not assign a numeric value to HTC_STATn but a character value of "0". A numeric assignment would look like

HTC_STATn= 0 ;

Also, you want to be very careful about = with character variables. "Mild" is not equal to "mild" so make sure that case is considered.