topic Re: WARNING: The variable X in the DROP, KEEP, or RENAME list has never been referenced. in SAS Enterprise Guide

WARNING: The variable X in the DROP, KEEP, or RENAME list has never been referenced.

NiravC — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 10:45:39 GMT

Hi All,

I am imported excel file(I used Options validvarname=any before importing excel file) ,after that I am keeping only selected columns by using keep statement in data set.

But for 2 variable I am getting warning.

My code is:

Data LCS_i;
set LCS_i ;
keep 'LCS NUMBER'n DESIGNATION 'RATED POWER'n 'RATED CURRENT (A)'n TYPE 'CONTROL CABLE SIZE
(Sq.mm)'n
'CABLE TYPE'n 'STATUSP / F'n DM REMARKS Rev prj_id;
run;

Warning is:

WARNING: The variable 'CONTROL CABLE SIZE(Sq.mm)'n in the DROP, KEEP, or RENAME list has never been referenced.
WARNING: The variable 'STATUSP / F'n in the DROP, KEEP, or RENAME list has never been referenced.

I tried to resolve this thing . I tried in keep and rename statement with no luck.

Can anyone explain me how to resolve this issue?

Thanks,

Nirav Chaudhari

Re: WARNING: The variable X in the DROP, KEEP, or RENAME list has never been referenced.

PaigeMiller — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 11:00:24 GMT

Your data set named LCS_I does not have variables by those names. Therefore, you can't include those variables in a KEEP statement.

You need to actually LOOK AT the data set with your own eyes to see what variable names are actually in the data set.

By the way, using this type of code, where the data set name is the same as the name in the SET statement is not recommended; and if you run the DATA step twice, you will get the error you see, even in the case where those variables were present originally.

Re: WARNING: The variable X in the DROP, KEEP, or RENAME list has never been referenced.

Kurt_Bremser — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 10:58:40 GMT

First of all, it is never a good idea to do this:

Data LCS_i;
set LCS_i ;

If something untoward happens that does not stope the data step from executing, you destroy your dataset and need to create it anew.

Especially while developing, create a new dataset:

Data LCS_i_new;
set LCS_i;

Regarding your WARNINGs: the variables are not there in the dataset. Look at the variables as shown in the viewtable, or run a PROC CONTENTS.

Re: WARNING: The variable X in the DROP, KEEP, or RENAME list has never been referenced.

NiravC — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 11:01:05 GMT

Both Variables are available in LCS_I. That's why I am confuse, why it's showing warning.

Thanks

Re: WARNING: The variable X in the DROP, KEEP, or RENAME list has never been referenced.

PaigeMiller — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 11:05:00 GMT

@NiravC wrote:

Both Variables are available in LCS_I. That's why I am confuse, why it's showing warning.

My rule is that if SAS says the variable is not in the data set, and the user says the variable is in the data set, then I believe SAS.

Show us what you see. Convince us that the variables are there. Give us information. Re-write your program as @Kurt_Bremser and I suggested.

Re: WARNING: The variable X in the DROP, KEEP, or RENAME list has never been referenced.

NiravC — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 11:06:35 GMT

Hii Kurt,

Thanks for answering, But I tried this thing :

Data LCS_i_new;
set LCS_i;

It's not working.

And I run the Proc Contents, Both the variable available with same name which is available in my early post.

Thnks

Re: WARNING: The variable X in the DROP, KEEP, or RENAME list has never been referenced.

Kurt_Bremser — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 11:08:39 GMT

When SAS says a variable is not there, it's not there, period.

Run a PROC CONTENTS and show us the complete output.

Re: WARNING: The variable X in the DROP, KEEP, or RENAME list has never been referenced.

NiravC — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 11:13:06 GMT

Hii Kurt,

See this Proc Contents Output, Both Variables are available , even I can show the data in output also , but I am not able write this two in Keep,Drop and Rename statement or option.

Alphabetic List of Variables and Attributes
#	Variable	Type	Len	Format	Informat	Label
13	CONTROL CABLE SIZE (Sq.mm)	Char	13	$13.00	$13.00	CONTROL CABLE SIZE (Sq.mm)
108	STATUS P / F	Char	9	$9.00	$9.00	STATUS P / F

Re: WARNING: The variable X in the DROP, KEEP, or RENAME list has never been referenced.

NiravC — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 11:22:13 GMT

Hii kurt,

If you want full Proc contents output.

Re: WARNING: The variable X in the DROP, KEEP, or RENAME list has never been referenced.

Kurt_Bremser — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 11:25:19 GMT

CONTENTS does not wrap the names in the output:

options validvarname=any;

data have;
"CONTROL CABLE SIZE (Sq.mm)"n = "1234567890123";
run;

proc contents data=have;
run;

See this result I copy/pasted directly into a window opened with the </> button:

Alphabetische Liste der Variablen und Attribute
#	Variable	Typ	Länge
1	CONTROL CABLE SIZE (Sq.mm)	Char	13

It is important to see the exact number of blanks (and possibly other characters) in the names. You might even have to rerun CONTENTS with an OUT= option, and later convert the name to a HEX string so you can see any funny characters (like UTF characters that look similar to the single-byte characters you type, but aren't).

I STRONGLY suggest that you rerun the import with VALIDVARNAME=V7 and let SAS make proper names out of those strings. Valid SAS names are MUCH easier to handle in code than the "name literal" crap.

Re: WARNING: The variable X in the DROP, KEEP, or RENAME list has never been referenced.

PaigeMiller — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 11:34:40 GMT

So you show us part of PROC CONTENTS, but not all of it. How do we know this is the same data set LCS_I that you were using in your code? Show us ALL of PROC CONTENTS so we can see what data set the results are for.

Also, as I said, if you run your original code TWICE, you will get that error even if the variable was present originally. Are you running that code twice?????

Re: WARNING: The variable X in the DROP, KEEP, or RENAME list has never been referenced.

NiravC — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 11:34:06 GMT

Hi Kurt,

I changed options valivarname=any to v7 as per your said,

Now 'CONTROL CABLE SIZE (Sq.mm)'n is showing VAR13 &
'STATUS P / F'n is showing STATUS_P___F.

Thanks for giving me a best solution. Now, It's working fine.

Thanks,

Nirav Chaudhari

Re: WARNING: The variable X in the DROP, KEEP, or RENAME list has never been referenced.

Kurt_Bremser — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 11:35:27 GMT

Look at the LABELs of those variables, they should still contain the original strings, which can be used for display in reports.

Re: WARNING: The variable X in the DROP, KEEP, or RENAME list has never been referenced.

NiravC — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 11:37:02 GMT

Yes, you are right. Label is showing original content.

Re: WARNING: The variable X in the DROP, KEEP, or RENAME list has never been referenced.

Kurt_Bremser — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 11:42:00 GMT

My personal preference, especially for processes that must be repeatable, is this:

save Excel files CSV files
write a data step to read the data, defining my own names
if necessary, take the contents of the header line as labels

For instance, I would use cont_cbl_size as the variable name; long enough to be descriptive, but short enough to reduce typing errors and the sheer number of keyboard hits while coding.

Re: WARNING: The variable X in the DROP, KEEP, or RENAME list has never been referenced.

ballardw — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 16:07:34 GMT

@NiravC wrote:

Hii Kurt,

Thanks for answering, But I tried this thing :
Data LCS_i_new;
set LCS_i;
It's not working.

And I run the Proc Contents, Both the variable available with same name which is available in my early post.

Thnks

"Not working" is awful vague.

Are there errors in the log?: Post the code and log in a code box opened with the "<>" to maintain formatting of error messages.

No output? Post any log in a code box.

Unexpected output? Provide input data in the form of data step code pasted into a code box, the actual results and the expected results. Instructions here: https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Communities-Library/How-to-create-a-data-step-version-of-your-data-AKA-generate/ta-p/258712 will show how to turn an existing SAS data set into data step code that can be pasted into a forum code box using the "<>" icon or attached as text to show exactly what you have and that we can test code against.

Re: WARNING: The variable X in the DROP, KEEP, or RENAME list has never been referenced.

NiravC — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 04:29:41 GMT

Hi Kurt,

Again I am facing this issue with other data and I follow this solution but options validvarname=v7 is not supported for columns. So, I can't able to see proc contents things.

Can you help me out in this issue?

Thanx,

Nirav

Re: WARNING: The variable X in the DROP, KEEP, or RENAME list has never been referenced.

Kurt_Bremser — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 07:43:59 GMT

The VALIDVARNAME option is supported in ALL SAS environments, and can be set anytime. Please post your complete log, from OPTIONS VALIDVARNAME=V7 to the data step with which you read the data.