Replacing period in column name using PROC SQL

[ssbxvm]

Hello everyone,

I'm importing data from a database view using a proc SQL statement.  Unfortunately I have no power over column names, and quite a number of the column names include a period in the name (e.g. VARIABLE.NAME).  I know that SAS will automatically rename the variable name if it contains non-standard characters.  Is there some option that I can use where SAS will replace the "." in a column name with an underscore as well when creating the dataset?

Right now I'm looking at having to use string literal for all SAS variable names that include a period.  I'd rather not do that since I already have pre-created formats for correctly named SAS variables. Thank you!

PROC SQL;
CREATE TABLE RANDOM_NAME
AS SELECT * FROM Database.View;
QUIT;

[Reeza · Accepted solution]

options validvarname=v7;

If you have this option set, SAS should convert it to the appropriate names. 

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@ssbxvm wrote:

Hello everyone,

I'm importing data from a database view using a proc SQL statement.  Unfortunately I have no power over column names, and quite a number of the column names include a period in the name (e.g. VARIABLE.NAME).  I know that SAS will automatically rename the variable name if it contains non-standard characters.  Is there some option that I can use where SAS will replace the "." in a column name with an underscore as well when creating the dataset?

Right now I'm looking at having to use string literal for all SAS variable names that include a period.  I'd rather not do that since I already have pre-created formats for correctly named SAS variables. Thank you!

PROC SQL;
CREATE TABLE RANDOM_NAME
AS SELECT * FROM Database.View;
QUIT;

---

[ssbxvm]

I knew it had to be something simple. Thank you!