Missing value for char variable-how to delete

[LanMin]

Dear all,

I have a character variable SIC with some missing values. I used the script (see below) to eliminate those observations and the sas log says "Character values have been converted to numeric values at the places given by...:"

IF SIC=" " THEN DELETE;

My question: do I need to convert SIC into numeric before using  IF SIC=" " THEN DELETE;

thanks,

Lan

[PGStats]

If SIC really is a character variable then the note refers to another statement. - PG

[Jagadishkatam]

i agree with PG,

The chances of note mentioned will arise when the sic variable data is character and you are considering it as numeric data while deleting. something like below

if sic=. then delete. However as per your post, it is a character and you have used the right statement.

Check if there are any other variable which is character and you are trying to delete those records considering the data is numeric.

Thanks,

Jagadish

[ballardw]

The log should have reported line numbers and number of times. Look at the code with that line number in the log.

I'll bet you've done a numeric function such as adding, subtracting or mulitplying with a variable you thought was numeric but is actually character.

[jaredp]

Could it also be that SAS is trying to convert the non-blank values in SIC?

[LanMin]

Thanks to everyone who replied to my post !!!

SIC was numeric. my mistake. I changed the code  IF SIC=. THEN DELETE; it works.

-Lan