format zW. and EG 4.3

[Oleg_L]

Why the code below generates an error in EG 4.3 (SAS 9.2)?

data test;

length b $8.;

a='123456';

type=vtype(a);

if type='N' then b=put(a,z8. -l); else b=a;

run;

Thanks.

Oleg.

[ChrisHemedinger · Accepted solution]

Because of the way DATA step works, the TYPE of the variable is determined at compile time.  Therefore, A is always a character type, and your PUT statement with the Zw.d format is "bad syntax" (because only a numeric is valid there).

You could use an intermediate INPUT function to convert the character value into a number, and then use the Zw.d format to create a version with the leading zeros.  I'm guessing your code snippet here is meant to be part of a larger program.  If you post more details about the data you have and what you're trying to get to, I'm sure others will provide some good ideas for how to solve it.

Chris

[Oleg_L]

Chris,

thanks for your answer.

I'm trying to solve common problem of importing Excel data - unpredictable data types.

Oleg.

[TomKari]

Hi, Oleg

Here's a rough-and-ready macro approach that might help.

Tom

data load;
a=123456;
b=123456;
c='123456';
d=123456;
e='123456';
f='123456';
g=123456;
h='123456';
i=123456;
j='123456';
output;
run;

data _null_;
set load(obs=1);

if vtype(a) = 'N' then call symput('asub', 'anum = put(a, z8.);'); else call symput('asub', 'anum = a;');if vtype(b) = 'N' then call symput('bsub', 'bnum = put(b, z8.);'); else call symput('bsub', 'bnum = b;');
if vtype(c) = 'N' then call symput('csub', 'cnum = put(c, z8.);'); else call symput('csub', 'cnum = c;');
if vtype(d) = 'N' then call symput('dsub', 'dnum = put(d, z8.);'); else call symput('dsub', 'dnum = d;');
if vtype(e) = 'N' then call symput('esub', 'enum = put(e, z8.);'); else call symput('esub', 'enum = e;');
if vtype(f) = 'N' then call symput('fsub', 'fnum = put(f, z8.);'); else call symput('fsub', 'fnum = f;');
if vtype(g) = 'N' then call symput('gsub', 'gnum = put(g, z8.);'); else call symput('gsub', 'gnum = g;');
if vtype(h) = 'N' then call symput('hsub', 'hnum = put(h, z8.);'); else call symput('hsub', 'hnum = h;');
if vtype(i) = 'N' then call symput('isub', 'inum = put(i, z8.);'); else call symput('isub', 'inum = i;');
if vtype(j) = 'N' then call symput('jsub', 'jnum = put(j, z8.);'); else call symput('jsub', 'jnum = j;');
run;

data test;
length anum bnum cnum dnum enum fnum gnum hnum inum jnum $8.;
set load;

&asub
&bsub
&csub
&dsub
&esub
&fsub
&gsub
&hsub
&isub
&jsub
&ksub

run;

[Oleg_L]

Tom,

thanks for your help.

Oleg.