topic Re: Clarification on file delimiter when there is a extra comma in SAS Programming

Clarification on file delimiter when there is a extra comma

Fathima — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 07:40:45 GMT

Hi All,

I'm trying to write a SAS which is 'Comma' separated file and not properly alligned. In third & fifith records (or lines) there is a extra comma in the City (Ma,dison & flo,rida). When i execute the below code, under 'GENDER' city name 'dison' & 'rida' values getting updated.

Can anyone please help me how to write the code to get the correct values under correct column?

data address2;
infile datalines dsd;
length city $10;
input name $ age city $ gender $;
datalines;
Steve,32,Monona,M
Tom,44,Milwaukee,M
Deb,23,Ma,dison,F
bob,24,Texas,M
Harry,43,flo,rida,M
run;

Re: Clarification on file delimiter when there is a extra comma

LinusH — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 07:50:14 GMT

Does your source data look like this?
If so (that values themselves contain the delimiter), either ask for a file with a different delimter, or have sll char values enclosed between " signs.
Or, have the source fix the obvious data quality issues...

Re: Clarification on file delimiter when there is a extra comma

RW9 — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 07:55:26 GMT

Per standard CSV definition, if a column of data contains the delimiter comma, then that whole column of data needs to be enclosed within enough quote marks to ensure the comma within the text is not recognised as a delimiter of the data. Typically this only needs one quote each end:
Harry,43,"flo,rida",M

Re: Clarification on file delimiter when there is a extra comma

andreas_lds — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 08:08:33 GMT

Following the advice provided by @LinusH and @RW9 is highly recommended.

If you can't get a fixed source file, try the following code:

data address2;
infile datalines dsd;
length city $10;
input name $ age city $ gender $;

if countc(_infile_, ',') > 3 then do;
   gender = scan(_infile_, 1, ',', 'b');
   call scan(_infile_, 3, pos, len, ',');
   city = compress(substr(_infile_, pos, findc(_infile_, ',', 'b')-pos), ',');
end;

datalines;
Steve,32,Monona,M
Tom,44,Milwaukee,M
Deb,23,Ma,dison,F
bob,24,Texas,M
Harry,43,flo,rida,M
run;

Re: Clarification on file delimiter when there is a extra comma

Fathima — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 08:57:39 GMT

Thank You for your response. Let me try andreas_ids given solution to resolve this issue.

Re: Clarification on file delimiter when there is a extra comma

Fathima — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 08:58:23 GMT

Thanks for your response!

Re: Clarification on file delimiter when there is a extra comma

Fathima — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 09:16:29 GMT

Thank You so much andreas_ids ! it worked!

Obs CITY NAME AGE GENDER POS LEN

1 MONONA STEVE 32 M . .
2 MILWAUKEE TOM 44 M . .
3 MADISON DEB 23 F 8 2
4 TEXAS BOB 24 M . .
5 FLORIDA HARRY 43 M 10 3