how to put the column length into a macro variable

[alepage]

Data test;

length var1 $10 var2 $ 20 var3 $25;

run;

Data test;

set test;

var1="";

var2="";

var3="";

%let columnlength=round(ranuni(0)*25,1);

/*25 represent the column length of var3. The question is how to get this value to put it into this function. I would like to do the same for each variable*/

do i=1 to &ColumnLength.;

var3=catt(var3,byte(int(97+26*ranuni(0))));

end;

run;

[RW9 · Accepted solution]

Use an array in your datastep, then use the vlength function to get the length and the call symputx function to create the macro variable (although why, and why the ranuni is another question).

data test;
  set test;
  array var{3};
  do i=1 to 3;
    call symputx(cats('var',put(i,best.)),vlength(var{i}));
  end;
run;

[ballardw]

I would guess the OP is attempting to get a random lower case letter if working on an ASCII system.

[alepage]

yes

[alepage]

Very simple!

Thank a lot