topic Re: Automate the length of multiple character variables in a dataset in SAS Programming

Automate the length of multiple character variables in a dataset

Gick — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 05:40:28 GMT

Hello,

I have several character variables of length 3, 5 , 13 or 90. I would like to define a length of 70 for all the variables.

Since I have several character variables (minus 120), I cannot change the length of each variable one by one.

I want to automate this data step, can someone help me please?

Thank you
Gick

Re: Automate the length of multiple character variables in a dataset

andreas_lds — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 06:10:17 GMT

I would fix the length-statement in the step creating the dataset. BUT why do you need to have the same length?

Re: Automate the length of multiple character variables in a dataset

Gick — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 06:25:52 GMT

Because I want to apply a program that retrieves the name of the variable_name of the modality. For example male_sex. But it turns out that some variables have length 3, so doing so cuts off the name of the new modality.

For example the sex variable has a length of 7, by applying my program I find sex_ho.
Image that I have a variable of length 3 but its name has 5 characters, with my program it will not take its modalities.

For example: sales of yes/no modalities, the result will be sal instead of sales_oui.

Reason for which, I wish to define a maximum length of 70 like that, all my program will give me the result which I seek.

Waiting for your contribution, thank you.

Gick

Re: Automate the length of multiple character variables in a dataset

andreas_lds — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 06:55:20 GMT

Sorry, but i can't follow your explanation. I would be easier, if you could post data in usable form and show what you want to achieve using that example.

Using sashelp.class:

/* Clone sashelp.class */
data work.class;
   set sashelp.class;
run;

/* Get char vars and use call execute to apply the fix */
data strings;
   set sashelp.vcolumn(where= (Libname = 'WORK' and MemName = 'CLASS' and upcase(Type) = 'CHAR')) end=jobDone;
   
   if _n_ = 1 then do;
      call execute('proc sql noprint;');
      call execute('alter table work.class modify');
   end;
   
   call execute(catx(' ', Name, 'char(70)', ifc(not jobDone, ',', '')));
   
   if jobDone then do;
      call execute('; quit;');
   end;
run;