Creating new variable

[sks521]

I want to create a new variable from an existing variable.

The existing variable has following values- GP, AHP, HCA, Nurse, admin

I want to create a new variable which does not include 'admin' and missing values, and coded '1' for all other values (GP, AHP, HCA, Nurse).

I have written the following syntax but it's giving '.' for all values in the new variable.

Can someone help please?

Thanks

S 

[sks521]

Sorry forgot to post the syntax;

if professionalcontact=. then visit=.;
else if professionalcontact in ('Admin', 'unkno') then delete;*this gives 11520 observations/visits;
else if professionalcontact in ('GP', 'AHP', 'HCA', 'Nurse') then visit=1;

[Cynthia_sas]

Hi:

  The first thing I would do is run a PROC FREQ on the input data set to find out what values _EXACTLY_ are in the field or variable PROFESSIONALCONTACT -- to check case, length, etc. Then you would be able to tell whether the number deleted by your IF statement was correct.

Cynthia

[sks521]

Hi Thanks, here is the freq proc;

The FREQ Procedure

ProfessionalContact Frequency Percent CumulativeFrequency CumulativePercentAHPAdminGPHCANurseUnknoFrequency Missing = 1

660	3.58	660	3.58
6923	37.54	7583	41.12
8147	44.18	15730	85.29
68	0.37	15798	85.66
1925	10.44	17723	96.10
719	3.90	18442	100.00

[sks521]

Sorry it changed the format a little bit;

Each value in the left column represent number for each of the following categories;

AHP

Admin

GP

HCA

Nurse

Unkno

[sks521]

And here is snapshot of the the new variable 'visit' created from existing variable 'professionalcontact'

          PKid      ProfessionalContact visit

.		.
1	GP	.
1	Nurse	.
1	Nurse	.
1	Admin	.
1	GP	.
1	Admin	.
1	Admin	.
1	GP	.
1	GP	.

[Kurt_Bremser]

---

@sks521 wrote:

Sorry forgot to post the syntax;

if professionalcontact=. then visit=.;
else if professionalcontact in ('Admin', 'unkno') then delete;*this gives 11520 observations/visits;
else if professionalcontact in ('GP', 'AHP', 'HCA', 'Nurse') then visit=1;

---

The dot represents missing numeric values, but you work with character variables. Use an empty string ("") to represent missing character values.

Since your first use of the new variable was numeric, it was defined as such, and all attempts to assign character values to it will result in missing values, and NOTEs with ERRORs and finally a WARNING.

Before you expand this if/then/else chain, take a look at the data step select statement (not the SQL one).

[sks521]

Thanks for helping but I couldn't get 'Before you expand this if/then/else chain, take a look at the data step select statement (not the SQL one).'. Can you elaborate further please?

BW

S

[Kurt_Bremser · Accepted solution]

Look at this example for your logic:

select (professionalcontact);
  when ('') visit = .;
  when ('Admin', 'unkno') delete;
  when ('GP', 'AHP', 'HCA', 'Nurse') visit = 1;
  otherwise; /* if you omit this, you will be alerted to an unexpected value by an ERROR */
end;

I just noted that you actually want to have a numeric value in visit, so ignore that part of my previous post.

[sks521]

Very helpful indeed! thanks for all your help

S

[tsap]

If possible, can you provide the logic to create a dummy data set that aligns with the dataset you are working to manipulate?

Use the instructions on this page to help, https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Communities-Library/How-to-create-a-data-step-version-of-your-dat... .

That would give a better starting point for us to understand what the starting data looks like and how the logic you are using afterwards is interacting with it.

Thanks