place variable in specific place

[Smitha9]

Hi,

I have a dataset with variables:

ID Name DOB Place Status

I want a variable "Status" to place after DOB

ID Name DOB Status Place

Can I make a code saying variable Status after DOB? or at 4th position?

Please let me know. thanks.

[mklangley]

proc sql;
    create table want as
    select id
          ,name
          ,dob
          ,status
          ,place
    from have;
quit;

or

data want;
    retain id name dob status;
    set have;
run;

[mkeintz]

First, you can't move a variable in a data set without making a new copy.  Here's one way to make that copy, taking advantage of the sas data step compiler:

data want;
  merge have (keep=ID Name DOB ) have (keep=status) have;     /*corrected typo */
run;

The SAS compiler will arrange variables in the order they are revealed in the code.  So:

1. First merge have has ID NAME DOB  (but ordered in whatever relative positions they have in the original).
2.  Second merge have gets STATUS, placed to the right of the above.
3. Third merge have gets all the remaining variables, in their original order, placed to the right of STATUS.

[andreas_lds]

The position of variable in a dataset is completely irrelevant for processing the data, with one exception: proc export. For anything else: don't waste your time!

But if you insist, here is another way to re-order the variables:

data work.class;
  format Name Weight Age Sex Height;
  set sashelp.class;
run;