Selecting variables from another data set

[StephanDup]

Good day. I have the following 2 data sets:

The first data set has 1000 variables with their values:

ID    Var1 ... Var1000

1        5             15

2        7             18

.

.

.

100   3              12

I also have the following data set with a list of variables:

Var_Name

Var1

Var5

Var6

Var101

Var159

.

.

.

Var987

Is there a way I can select the variables listed in the second data set from the first data set?

[Kurt_Bremser · Accepted solution]

This is a classic task for call execute():

data _null_;
set ds2 end=done;
if _n_ = 1 then call execute('data want; set ds1; keep ';
call execute(var_name !! ' ');
if done then call execute('; run;');
run;

[StephanDup]

Thank you very much. It worked! How do I keep other variables of ds1 as well (such as ID)?

[Kurt_Bremser]

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@StephanDup wrote:

Thank you very much. It worked! How do I keep other variables of ds1 as well (such as ID)?

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Either put them into ds2 when you create it, or insert them in the first call execute in the keep statement.

Or you could turn the logic around and create ds2 with variable names to be dropped, and create a drop statement with call execute.