How to check if a variable is numeric and convert to a character with a condition?

[jjames1]

Hello Community,

I am just following up with my question in Check if the variable is numeric then convert to Char . 

Thank you all for your valuable replies.

In my case I am reading from different XML files, So I dont know if it is numeric or character datatype originally. So ideally what I need to do is something like

%if (%sysfunc(vartype(xyz.myVar)) = N) %then  %do;
put(xyz.myVar,$5.);
%end

proc sql;
  create table abc as 
  select myvar
  from xyz;
  quit;

In this way no matter what the data type is , I can always read a character.

Please help 

[Reeza · Accepted solution]

I think the CAT solution proposed would work, did that not work for your for some reason?

option missing='';
data class;
set sashelp.class;
if name in ('Alfred' 'Jane') then age=.;
run;


proc sql;
create table want as
select name, catt(age) as age, weight, height
from class;
quit;

[jjames1]

Thank you for the quick reply.

Although this one runs and changes the data type ; the value is missing

[Reeza]

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@jjames1 wrote:

Thank you for the quick reply.

Although this one runs and changes the data type ; the value is missing

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I don't understand what that means.

[jjames1]

Hello Reeza,

It was an error from my side.

This way of conversion worked.

Thank you so much 🙂