topic Re: Creating a conditional Variable in SAS Enterprise Guide

Creating a conditional Variable

Sean_OConnor — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 09:19:00 GMT

Folks,

I would like to create a condtional variable such that if PAYE income is greater than or equal to 50% of gross income then employee = Y if not employee = N

Initially I wanted something as, but the following code doesn't work. Could anyone recommend anything to me, please?

if payeinc>=50% grossinc then 
		employee='Y';
		else employee ='N';

Re: Creating a conditional Variable

RW9 — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 09:31:47 GMT

For binary choices such as these, your easiest method is either ifn() to return a numeric value or ifc() to return a character. They both have the form:

<variable>=ifn(<condition>,<result positive value>,<result negative value>);

So in your case you can say:

employee=ifc(payinc >= 50,'Y','N');

Note that in the above I am guessing that payinc is numeric (as that would make most sense), if its character - and why are you storing numbers in character fields - then you need to input it first.

Re: Creating a conditional Variable

Reeza — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 09:32:47 GMT

Are you using Query builder? If so, try a computed calculation and choose recode to use the GUI to create the code.

Or use an advanced expression and a CASE statement.

SAS note: How to apply if/then logic in SAS EG

http://support.sas.com/kb/32/160.html

Re: Creating a conditional Variable

Reeza — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 09:34:10 GMT

And the condition needs to be correct

payeinc > 0.5*gross_incone