topic Change the Column Order in SAS Programming

Change the Column Order

Kody_devl — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 12:52:01 GMT

Hi All,

I have an imported dataset (from a text file) and added only one column to the table / dataset called "Data_Source". The position of the added column is Last. How can I move it to First?

Columns Order IS:

A B C D Data_Source

Column Order Desired:

Data_Source A B C D

Many Thanks

Re: Change the Column Order

Loko — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 12:57:30 GMT

hEllo,

how have you added the column ? If you have used a data step than you can put it in the first position by simply naming it before the set statement. For example:

data want;

length a $ 15;

set sashelp.class;

a='z'||name;

run;

Re: Change the Column Order

Kody_devl — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 14:06:13 GMT

Here is my code to add the new column, not in the text file that was imported.

/* Add Field */

proc sql;

alter table work.Loan_Detail_&i.

add Data_Source CHAR(35);

run;

Re: Change the Column Order

LinusH — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 14:37:27 GMT

There have been quite a few threads with this topic on the communities, pls do a search.
Question is, why bother about column order? Leave that to the reporting part.

Re: Change the Column Order

Kody_devl — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 12:19:43 GMT

I found some code that works. Not sure how it works but it move my columns to the front.

/* Change Order of Fields*/

data work.ALL_MONTHS_LOAN_DETAIL;

retain Source_Date Data_Source;

set ALL_MONTHS_LOAN_DETAIL;

run;

Re: Change the Column Order

LinusH — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 17:56:46 GMT

That will force a table rewrite, but isn't a problem if it's small.
Another option is to keep an empty template table, with your preferred column order, labels, formats etc. Then append your incoming data to that table.