topic Re: ERROR: Variable x in list does not match type prescribed for this list. in Statistical Procedures

ERROR: Variable x in list does not match type prescribed for this list.

emma93 — Sun, 04 Feb 2018 22:57:06 GMT

Hi I am I new user to SAS and am trying to input some variables to preform an anlysis but one of my variables has some missing values (no data entries) that are entered as "." in my excel file but when I try to run this statement I get the error that the variable with the missing values (ecec) does not match type presribed for this list.

proc corr data= sernec;
var ph sand silt clay ksat ecec om;
run;

1114 proc corr data= sernec;
1115 var ph sand silt clay ksat ecec om;
ERROR: Variable ecec in list does not match type prescribed for this list.
1116 run;

Please help! I have the data all as numeric. thank-you!

Re: ERROR: Variable x in list does not match type prescribed for this list.

sld — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 00:19:19 GMT

One solution is to replace cells in Excel containing "." with blank cells (containing nothing). SAS will assign missing values to those fields.

Re: ERROR: Variable x in list does not match type prescribed for this list.

Reeza — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 00:35:19 GMT

@emma93 wrote:

Hi I am I new user to SAS and am trying to input some variables to preform an anlysis but one of my variables has some missing values (no data entries) that are entered as "." in my excel file but when I try to run this statement I get the error that the variable with the missing values (ecec) does not match type presribed for this list.

proc corr data= sernec;
var ph sand silt clay ksat ecec om;
run;

1114 proc corr data= sernec;
1115 var ph sand silt clay ksat ecec om;
ERROR: Variable ecec in list does not match type prescribed for this list.
1116 run;

Please help! I have the data all as numeric. thank-you!

It doesn't matter what it is in Excel, it matters what SAS reads and stores it in. You can see the type using PROC CONTENTS. Run that on the data set and you'll see the type is likely character.

You need to convert it to numeric, either by modifying the Excel file so that SAS reads it in as numeric or converting it after importing it.

proc contents data=sernec; run;

To convert it via code you can use a data step and then try your PROC CORR again:

data sernec2;
set sernec;

ecec_num = input(ecec, ?? 8.);

run;

Re: ERROR: Variable x in list does not match type prescribed for this list.

emma93 — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 17:12:47 GMT

ecec_num = input(ecec, ?? 8.);

Hi does the above input specifiy that if there is a decimal "." to read it as no data ? I have all columns formatted in excel as numeric

Re: ERROR: Variable x in list does not match type prescribed for this list.

Reeza — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 17:21:24 GMT

@emma93 wrote:
ecec_num = input(ecec, ?? 8.);
Hi does the above input specifiy that if there is a decimal "." to read it as no data ? I have all columns formatted in excel as numeric

A nice and very difficult thing with Excel, it doesn't force types on data/columns. INPUT is for after the import and the ?? suppresses any warning messages so its not always the best idea.