How to save matching variable name after merging data sets?

[Ramsha]

I have merged two data sets by a variable called "ID." However, both data sets that I merged contained the variable "Street." After I merged the two data sets, only the first dataset's Street variable column remained. How can I keep both of the variable Street data in separate columns without overriding one of them? The given data is also from excel files so I cannot easily change the name before importing the data. If there is a code for me to change the name of a given variable, please state. Thank you so much!

[error_prone]

You can rename variables in the merge statement. And there should be an example in the docs of merge statement.

Example (untested)
merge data_a data_b(rename=(street=street_b));
by I'd;

[Reeza · Accepted solution]

Rename the variable in one of the data sets. You can do that in the merge, you don't say how you merge but it can be done in either a SQL or data step merge.

merge data1 data2(rename=(street=d2_street));

---

@Ramsha wrote:

I have merged two data sets by a variable called "ID." However, both data sets that I merged contained the variable "Street." After I merged the two data sets, only the first dataset's Street variable column remained. How can I keep both of the variable Street data in separate columns without overriding one of them? The given data is also from excel files so I cannot easily change the name before importing the data. If there is a code for me to change the name of a given variable, please state. Thank you so much!

---

[ballardw]

It would help to show the code used to merge the data so we could reference data sets and actual variable names.

If you used a data step merge then you can use a data set option on one set to change the name:

data want;

   merge dataone

              datatwo (rename=(street = streetwo))

   ;

   <other code>