topic Re: problem to convert a character into numeric with comma in SAS Programming

problem to convert a character into numeric with comma

Nasser_DRMCP — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 12:10:18 GMT

hello,

in a dataset , there are 2 records and a column named "amount" (character), and values are

rec amount

1 82.04

2 108498.19

And I would like to convert these values into numeric.

I try input(amount,5.) that returns 82.04 for rec1 (correct) but 10849 for rec 2(not correct because truncated)

I try input(amount,9.) that returns 108498.19 for rec 2 (correct) but "." for rec 1 (not correct)

please, what is the correct syntax and the correct informat ?

thanks in advance

Re: problem to convert a character into numeric with comma

PaigeMiller — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 12:12:27 GMT

To convert to numeric

amount1 = amount+0;

To include a comma, this is done via assigning the comma format to amount1

Re: problem to convert a character into numeric with comma

PeterClemmensen — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 12:14:50 GMT

data have;
length amount $10;
input rec amount$;
datalines;
1 82.04
2 108498.19
;

data want;
	set have;
	amount_num = input(amount,comma10.2);
run;

Re: problem to convert a character into numeric with comma

PaigeMiller — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 12:27:13 GMT

@PeterClemmensen wrote:

data have;
length amount $10;
input rec amount$;
datalines;
1 82.04
2 108498.19
;

data want;
	set have;
	amount_num = input(amount,comma10.2);
run;

When I execute this code and then do a proc print, I don't see the commas in amount_num.

Re: problem to convert a character into numeric with comma

BrunoMueller — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 12:32:32 GMT

Your INPUT function with informat should just work fine, see example below:

data want;
  length amount $ 15;

  do amount = "82.04", "108498.19";
    amount_n = input(amount, 15.);
    output;
  end;
run;

Re: problem to convert a character into numeric with comma

PeterClemmensen — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 12:32:59 GMT

Strange, I do? 🙂

Re: problem to convert a character into numeric with comma

PaigeMiller — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 12:38:39 GMT

@PeterClemmensen wrote:

Strange, I do? 🙂

Maybe there's something unusual about my computer and commas are written in invisible ink, but I do not see commas, not in my web browser looking at your reply, and not in my SAS 9.4 when I do a PROC PRINT.

Re: problem to convert a character into numeric with comma

PeterClemmensen — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 12:45:25 GMT

Ah, I mixed them up with periods, my bad 🙂

Re: problem to convert a character into numeric with comma

Tom — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 13:21:24 GMT

Are you reading from a text file? Make sure to use the TRUNCOVER option on the INFILE statement. Or add the : modifier in front of the format in the INPUT statement.

Are you reading from a character variable using the INPUT() function? Is so then your issue is probably caused by non-printing characters on the end of the shorter string. Like at TAB ('09'x) or a CR ('0D'x) or perhaps a NUL ('00'x) or what Microsoft likes to call a non-breaking space ('A0'x). Try printing the value using $HEX format to see what characters are there and then use the COMPRESS() function to remove them.

If you want the value to print with commas as the thousand separators then use the COMMA format. If you want to change decimal point to a comma and use period as thousands separator then use COMMAX or change your locale settings.

data want ;
 set have ;
  amount_num = input(amount,32.);
  format amount_num comma14.2;
run;