topic Re: Extra spaces in Char variable in SAS Programming

Extra spaces in Char variable

Smurf — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 18:25:12 GMT

I have a char column that is display different in SAS studio data viewer and printed results;

In data viewer, it shows many extra spaces between words, but if I print the variable, it looks fine.

In data viewer

Result from proc print:

Look at the space between "Master" and "vs". Could someone tell me why it's like this?

Thanks!

Re: Extra spaces in Char variable

Tom — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 19:18:39 GMT

Your problem is that you are using ODS to print your results. If you print to the normal text output you won't have that problem. Example:

data test;
  input string $50.;
cards;
one two
one  two
one   two
one    two
one     two
;

proc print;
run;

Normal listing output:

Obs    string

 1     one two
 2     one  two
 3     one   two
 4     one    two
 5     one     two

Picture of what ODS produces:

Perhaps there is a STYLE option that will preserve the spaces between "words", but I could not find it.

Re: Extra spaces in Char variable

Smurf — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 19:35:21 GMT

Thank you!

I use SAS Enterprise7.15.

When I print results to HTML format, the spaces will be removed. If I print to other formats, then spaces won't be removed

Html:

rtf:

It seems that the display is controlled by neither data format nor style sheet.

Re: Extra spaces in Char variable

Smurf — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 20:12:02 GMT

I got it.

Extra spaces exist in data set and they can be removed by "compbl" function.

ODS html may automatically call "compbl" before printing.

Re: Extra spaces in Char variable

Ksharp — Sun, 21 Jan 2024 09:04:51 GMT

Tom,

The STYLE option you are looking for is "ASIS=ON".

data test;
  input string $50.;
cards;
one two
one  two
one   two
one    two
one     two
;

proc print style(column)={asis=on};
run;

Re: Extra spaces in Char variable

Smurf — Sun, 21 Jan 2024 18:44:54 GMT

Thank you so much!
I didnot know styles worked so different on different ODS destinations.

Re: Extra spaces in Char variable

Tom — Sun, 21 Jan 2024 20:58:05 GMT

@Smurf wrote:

I got it.

Extra spaces exist in data set and they can be removed by "compbl" function.

ODS html may automatically call "compbl" before printing.

If the goal is to remove the extra spaces then COMPBL() is a good choice. Be careful that some of that extra space are other invisible characters that COMPBL() will not remove. Such non-breaking space 'A0'x or tab '09'x.

It is not so much as HTML calling COMPBL() but just the nature of how HTML pages works. If you build an HTML page by hand it will flow text into neat paragraphs for you. If you want it to preserve white spaces you have to add extra code into the HTML.

Re: Extra spaces in Char variable

Smurf — Sun, 21 Jan 2024 21:00:45 GMT

Thank you!