topic exclude numbers from observations in SAS Programming

exclude numbers from observations

gzr2mz39 — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 22:15:02 GMT

How do I exclude numbers from an observation?

For example, I want "Brown, Jack" instead of "Brown, Jack 01".

Thank you.

Peter_C — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 22:31:11 GMT

have a look at the modifiers for the compress() function

gzr2mz39 — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 22:49:04 GMT

The modifier 'ak' removes the numbers, but I lose the comma.

If I use 'd' I lose all spaces.

How do I keep spaces and commas?

Thank you.

art297 — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 22:59:30 GMT

Don't use the k modifier. Only use the d modifier. That way you will drop all of the digits.

gzr2mz39 — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:05:10 GMT

If I use this compress(reported_by,'','d')

then I lose spaces as well as digits.

art297 — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:15:38 GMT

You'll have to provide an example with data and code where that happens. It doesn't happen in the following test:

data have;

length name $30;

input;

name=_infile_;

cards;

Smith, John 12

Jones, John 12

Smith, Mary 14

Howard, Wilburt 3rd 19

;

data want;

set have;

name=compress(name,,'d');

run;

gzr2mz39 — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:19:47 GMT

I changed compress(reported_by,'','d') to compress(reported_by,,'d'). Thank you.