topic Re: Transforming data from horizontal to vertical in SAS Programming

Transforming data from horizontal to vertical

niki0209 — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 12:57:38 GMT

I have this data:

Person	Status, january	Status, february	Status, march
A	2	3	2
B	4	4	4
C	3	2	3

And I need it transformed to this data:

Person	Time	Status
A	January	2
A	February	3
A	March	2
B	January	4
B	February	4
B	March	4
C	January	3
C	February	2
C	March	3

Can anyone help me do this? Thanks a lot 🙂

Re: Transforming data from horizontal to vertical

PaigeMiller — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 13:10:48 GMT

This code will perform the task for you, under an important assumption.

proc transpose data=have out=want;
    by person;
run;

The assumption is that you are actually working with a valid SAS data set with valid SAS variable names; and not this apparent Excel file that you show. Valid SAS variable names cannot have commas or spaces in the variable name, so you have to fix that.

From now on, please provide data as working SAS data step code (examples and instructions) and not as Excel or Excel copy and paste into the window where you type your message.

Re: Transforming data from horizontal to vertical

maguiremq — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 13:13:28 GMT

Some of my work has noticed increased speed from running the transposition in a data step, but I'm unsure if that always holds.

data have;
input person $1. status_january status_february status_march;
datalines;
A 2 3 2
B 4 4 4
C 3 2 3
;
run;

data want (drop = status_: i);
	set have;
	array _s [*] status_:;
	do i = 1 to dim(_s);
		status = _s[i];
		time = propcase(scan(vname(_s[i]), -1, '_'));
		person = person;
		output;
	end;
run;

Now, do you actually have commas in your variable names? I substituted with underscores to make working code.

Nonetheless, here's my output:

person	status	time
A	2	January
A	3	February
A	2	March
B	4	January
B	4	February
B	4	March
C	3	January
C	2	February
C	3	March

PROC TRANSPOSE is generally easier to understand.

Re: Transforming data from horizontal to vertical

niki0209 — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 13:18:42 GMT

Hi. Thanks for trying to help, but it doesn't seem to work.

(Yes, I am working with a proper SAS dataset - I just made up some variables names quickly).

When I use the code it just gives me an empty data set.

Do you know why?

Re: Transforming data from horizontal to vertical

PaigeMiller — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 13:26:44 GMT

@niki0209 wrote:

Hi. Thanks for trying to help, but it doesn't seem to work.

(Yes, I am working with a proper SAS dataset - I just made up some variables names quickly).

When I use the code it just gives me an empty data set.

Do you know why?

Something about your actual real SAS data set is different than the one you showed. Please provide the data as working SAS data step code, as I explained earlier. Also please show the EXACT code you used.

Re: Transforming data from horizontal to vertical

niki0209 — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 13:26:14 GMT

Dude, this code is perfect. Thank you very much! (I don't actually have commas in my variable names, but I get your point ;-). )

Re: Transforming data from horizontal to vertical

ballardw — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 14:56:09 GMT

@niki0209 wrote:

Hi. Thanks for trying to help, but it doesn't seem to work.

(Yes, I am working with a proper SAS dataset - I just made up some variables names quickly).

When I use the code it just gives me an empty data set.

Do you know why?

We might have a chance of answering that if you include the log with the code an all of the notes from running the code. Copy the entire log text, on the forum open a text box using the </> icon that appears above the message window and paste all of the copied text.

Re: Transforming data from horizontal to vertical

DrAbhijeetSafai — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 12:01:44 GMT

@PaigeMiller , many thanks!