topic Re: Length of string variable with 11 characters/digits = 13? in SAS Programming

Length of string variable with 11 characters/digits = 13?

SM1 — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 17:17:24 GMT

I am working with a string variable (DELIV) that should have a maximum of 11 characters or digits. To prepare this variable, I used the COMPRESS function to remove all spaces.

To check and then clean this variable, I ran the following syntax:

data checklength;

set check;

    length_deliv = length(deliv);
   lengthn_deliv = lengthn(deliv);
   lengthc_deliv = lengthc(deliv);
run;

Here are the results from the SAS Output

length_deliv Frequency Percent Cumulative
Frequency Cumulative
Percent 2 10 11 13 33

1	0.21	1	0.21
2	0.42	3	0.63
463	97.27	466	97.90
9	1.89	475	99.79
1	0.21	476	100.00

lengthn_deliv Frequency Percent Cumulative
Frequency Cumulative
Percent 2 10 11 13 33

1	0.21	1	0.21
2	0.42	3	0.63
463	97.27	466	97.90
9	1.89	475	99.79
1	0.21	476	100.00

lengthc_deliv Frequency Percent Cumulative
Frequency Cumulative
Percent 255

476

100.00

476

100.00

When I ran a proc print of the 9 observations where length_deliv and lengthn_deliv = 13, this is what the values looked like:

091705JUN07

262350JUL07

122245OCT07

261635OCT07

152145NOV07

181845NOV07

281820FEB08

021727APR08

090015APR08

Why does length_deliv and lengthn_deliv = 13 and not 11?

Any help will be most appreciated!

Re: Length of string variable with 11 characters/digits = 13?

Reeza — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 18:00:21 GMT

What are the formats and types associated with the variable?

Re: Length of string variable with 11 characters/digits = 13?

SM1 — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 18:28:32 GMT

I ran a PROC CONTENTS statement to get this info.

Type = Char

Len = 255

Format = $255

Informat = $255

Re: Length of string variable with 11 characters/digits = 13?

Reeza — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 18:32:35 GMT

Check the values iwth a HEX format, you may have tabs or something else in there.

Or apply the compress function first to remove any non printable characters - you need to use a modifier and recheck the data.

Re: Length of string variable with 11 characters/digits = 13?

PGStats — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 18:47:58 GMT

Try printing the Lengthn = 13 values with format $hex26. format to see the non printing characters.

Re: Length of string variable with 11 characters/digits = 13?

SM1 — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 18:53:53 GMT

I compressed the variable to remove spaces before checking the lengths.

I have several similar variables and none of the others have any values that are gt 11.

I'll figure out how to check the values with a HEX format.

Thanks!

Re: Length of string variable with 11 characters/digits = 13?

SM1 — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 19:30:19 GMT

@PG

I ran this syntax:

proc print data = checklength;
where lengthn_deliv eq 13;
format deliv $hex26.;
run;

I don't know how to read the SAS output for the 9 values of DELIV where lengthn = 13:

30393030313541505230380D0A

30323137323741505230380D0A

32383138323046454230380D0A

3138313834354E4F5630370D0A

3135323134354E4F5630370D0A

3236313633354F435430370D0A

3132323234354F435430370D0A

3236323335304A554C30370D0A

3039313730354A554E30370D0A

Re: Length of string variable with 11 characters/digits = 13?

PGStats — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 21:44:43 GMT

0D0A is CR-LF, carriage return - linefeed. So those are the invisible characters that are part of your mysterious values.

Re: Length of string variable with 11 characters/digits = 13?

Reeza — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 21:49:33 GMT

Use the 's' modifier with the COMPRESS() function to remove them as well and have no trailing invisible spaces.

http://support.sas.com/documentation/cdl/en/lefunctionsref/69762/HTML/default/viewer.htm#n0fcshr0ir3h73n1b845c4aq58hz.htm

Example 3 covers this in the doc.

Re: Length of string variable with 11 characters/digits = 13?

SM1 — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 23:26:45 GMT

@Reeza

Thank you!

I used this syntax to compress a number of similar variables:

data want; *compress values to get rid of all spaces;
    set have;
        array change(9) Inc Alert Launch OnSce Locate Recov Deliv RTB SubmitDate;
                do i = 1 to 9;
               change(i)=compress(change(i), , 's');
   end;
run;

It worked perfectly.

Thank you!

Re: Length of string variable with 11 characters/digits = 13?

SM1 — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 23:28:03 GMT

@PGStats

Indeed, there were invisible characters.

Thanks for explaining 0D0A .