How to create new dataset from existing datasets with certain conditions

[Illuminosa]

I use SAS E.G. version 4.3.

There are datasets (in a folder called archive) where the names are something like this: "table_contents_[year]", where [year] = 2012, 2013, 2014, ...

For example: table_contents_2012, table_contents_2013, ..., table_contents_2016.

One of the variables of these datasets is a date variable that contains dates for that certain year.

I want to put the data from these datasets into one new dataset, but selecting only data as from a certain year or a certain date. How can I do this?

With the statement below, I can extract and put the data from ALL datasets with name "tablecontents_[year]" into a new dataset.

But I don't know how I can select data that are for example greater than or equal to year 2015 or 10SEP2015?

%let listOfDataTables =;

proc sql noprint;
select compress("arch." || memname)
into :listOfDataTables separated by ' ' 
from sashelp.vtable
where libname=upcase("arch") and upcase(memname) like 'tablecontents*_%' escape '*';
quit;

[RW9]

First, its not a good idea to split same data up into multiplpe datasets, this just makes your life harder.  Set all your data together and have year as a column:

data want;
  length v $50;
  set table_contents_: indsname=tmp;
  v=tmp;
run;

You can process indsname to get year.  You can then simply where clause this one dataset rather than trying to loop over many.

[Ksharp · Accepted solution]

where libname=upcase("arch") and input(scan(memname,-1,'_') ,best8.) gt 2015

[Illuminosa]

This works. Thank you!