topic Re: Changing data types and lengths in a proc sql select statement? in SAS Procedures

Changing data types and lengths in a proc sql select statement?

Datino — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 17:26:48 GMT

Say, I have a source table with coumns of various data types and I want to create a second table by selecting some of those columns and changing their data types or lengths.

For example,

if I have a char column that has sotred numbers, how do I convert it to numeric so I can do calculations at a later date?
How do I expand the length of a char variable, say from char (8) to char (32) so I can concatenate more data later?

Thanks in advance.

Re: Changing data types and lengths in a proc sql select statement?

PGStats — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 17:44:48 GMT

proc sql;
create table myNewData as
select
	input(numberStr, best.) as myNumber,
	shortStr as longStr length=32
from myData;
quit;

Re: Changing data types and lengths in a proc sql select statement?

rogerjdeangelis — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 21:04:59 GMT

Just a slight comment

You can use the same name

input(mynumber,5.) as mynumber length=4.

Re: Changing data types and lengths in a proc sql select statement?

Datino — Sat, 28 Jan 2017 03:22:17 GMT

Thank you.

Re: Changing data types and lengths in a proc sql select statement?

Datino — Sat, 28 Jan 2017 03:22:42 GMT

Thanks, figured as much.