topic Re: Keep character variables in merge in SAS Procedures

Keep character variables in merge

blackraven — Tue, 22 May 2012 16:06:04 GMT

Hi.

If I merge two datasets where the first dataset does not include variable A and the second dataset includes the character variable A, then SAS will create a numeric variable A because this dataset was not set as the first dataset in the merge. Can I force SAS to keep A as a character variable although it is set as a second dataset in a merge?

data test;

set var_b_c textvar_a;

run;

If I have thousands of variables it is tricky to do it manually.

Re: Keep character variables in merge

Linlin — Tue, 22 May 2012 20:08:48 GMT

I don't think your statement is true. you should post some sample data.

Re: Keep character variables in merge

blackraven — Tue, 22 May 2012 20:19:17 GMT

I was truly surprised to see this, but it turned out I was too tired to notice value formatting was on. Thanks.

Re: Keep character variables in merge

Ksharp — Wed, 23 May 2012 03:33:56 GMT

Change the order of these two datasets ?

data test;

set textvar_a var_b_c;

run;

Re: Keep character variables in merge

andreas_lds — Thu, 24 May 2012 08:05:44 GMT

Unable to reproduce the error using SAS 9.2.

Code:

data work.WithoutName;

set sashelp.class(drop=Name);

run;

data work.test;

set work.WithoutName sashelp.class;

run;

proc print data=sashelp.vcolumn(where=

(memname = 'TEST' and upcase(name) = 'NAME'))

noobs;

var libname memname memtype name type;

run;

Proc print shows:

libname memname memtype name type

WORK TEST DATA Name char