topic Help SAS reading data from .txt file in SAS Procedures

Help SAS reading data from .txt file

Schaf — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:24:07 GMT

I am a beginning SAS user and have taken over a job with a company.

Many lines of data that the SAS program uses come from a .txt file.

One of the columns "On-Hand" is set up in SAS as a numeric value, however somehow in the .txt file a negative amount is written as (# -) instead of (- #). SAS can not read this as a numeric number.

Is there an easy way to have the number truly be a negative number?

At first I tried to just convert it to a character, but another program uses this information for a calculation and I now get errors with the calculation.

I really appreciate it if anyone can help.

Re: Help SAS reading data from .txt file

data_null__ — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:47:38 GMT

TRAILSGNw. Informat

Reads a trailing plus :smileyplus: or minus :smileyminus: sign.

Re: Help SAS reading data from .txt file

art297 — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:50:10 GMT

I just discovered the post where you mentioned that earlier this summer and was just about to edit my own post. I'll just delete my previous post as the correct answer, as you mentioned, is definitely trailsgnW.

Help SAS reading data from .txt file

Schaf — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 20:06:48 GMT

Thanks for the help!

Help SAS reading data from .txt file

Schaf — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 20:07:01 GMT

Thanks for the help!