topic Re: replace a foreign character in a string in SAS Programming

replace a foreign character in a string

deleted_user — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 09:16:49 GMT

Hi,

I am trying to replace a foreign character in a string, unfortunatelly most of useful string functions such as "tranwrd" does not work because SAS complains that it is not a valide SAS name. Right now, I created a macro. In the macro I get the length of the string, then use "substr" to get a single letter at a time, then do a cat afterwards.

Does anyone have a better idea please?

Thanks
Qun

Re: replace a foreign character in a string

Ksharp — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 09:47:00 GMT

options validvarname=any;
[pre]

Then you can use invalid sas varname.

Ksharp
[/pre]

Re: replace a foreign character in a string

sbb — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 13:28:23 GMT

Share the actual SAS log with the specific error message revealed -- include all SAS program code revealed. You can do this with a COPY/PASTE into your next forum post-reply.

Also add this statement to generate additional diagnostic message with all variable values displayed to the log:

PUTLOG / _ALL_;

Scott Barry
SBBWorks, Inc. Message was edited by: sbb

Re: replace a foreign character in a string

deleted_user — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 13:35:47 GMT

Many thanks, Ksharp. I should've looked at the options in the first place.

Yan

Re: replace a foreign character in a string

data_null__ — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:44:51 GMT

It is unclear to me what you mean by foreign character. And if the characters are in variable values of variable names.

For values of variables check out COMPRESS.

Re: replace a foreign character in a string

Ksharp — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 03:31:52 GMT

Hi. _null_
For the foreign character, SAS has some specical function to process this situation.
For example : Kcompress()

Ksharp

Re: replace a foreign character in a string

deleted_user — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 13:46:04 GMT

I am confused as why the following code didn't work as I expected

options validvarname=any;

%macro test();
%global new;
%let old = ppø;
%let new = %sysfunc(tranwrd(&old, 'ø', 'aa'));
%put &new;
%mend;

%test();

%put &new;

The result is

MLOGIC(TEST): Beginning execution.
MLOGIC(TEST): %LET (variable name is NEW)
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable OLD resolves to ppø
MLOGIC(TEST): %PUT &new
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable NEW resolves to ppø
ppø
MLOGIC(TEST): Ending execution.
3832
3833 %put &new;
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable NEW resolves to ppø
ppø

I would thought "new" should be "ppaa".

Many thanks,
Qun

Re: replace a foreign character in a string

deleted_user — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 13:47:21 GMT

Sorry, cut past the wrong code

options validvarname=any;

%let old=ppø;
%let new=&old;

%macro test();
%let new = %sysfunc(tranwrd(&old, 'ø', 'aa'));
%put &new;
%mend;

%test();

%put &new;

Re: replace a foreign character in a string

deleted_user — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 13:54:05 GMT

It's one of those issues with quote. Once I removed the quote around ø, and aa, it works.

I can never be sure when I suppose to ", or ' in data step or in macro.

Qun

Re: replace a foreign character in a string

data_null__ — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 13:55:52 GMT

Don't use "quotes" 'quotes' in macro language.

1632 %let old=ppø;
1633 %let new=&old;
1634
1635 %let new = %sysfunc(tranwrd(&old, ø, aa));
1636 %put NOTE &new;
NOTE ppaa

Re: replace a foreign character in a string

Cynthia_sas — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 16:30:57 GMT

This is a good introduction to the SAS Macro facility:
http://www2.sas.com/proceedings/sugi28/056-28.pdf

cynthia

Re: replace a foreign character in a string

Ksharp — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 02:55:36 GMT

Hi.
_null_ is right .Macro facility treat anything as text ,even if it is the argument of function.

Ksharp