How do I change the char variable in some datasets (but not all) to a date format?

[Benbo123321]

I'm relatively new to SAS. What I want to do is simple enough, however, every time I try to run the code with minor tweaks, I get an error. I have twelve months worth of information, P1-P12.  For P1-P3, the variable DOC_DATE is in the correct format, MMDDYY10. For P4-P12, DOC_DATE is a char variable. This is keeping me from creating one large data set for the entire year. Therefore, I need to make DOC_DATE in the P4-P12 data sets the same format, MMDDYY10. I do that by creating a temporary variable (_date) to house the correct date, called Document_Date, and then renaming it to DOC_DATE and dropping the extraneous variables.

Code:

  Data DataRequest;

       SET ERPOCT.p1_readin ERPNOV.p2_readin ERPDEC.p3_readin /*these 3 are correctly formatted   */
              ERPJAN.p4_readin(rename=(Document_Date=DOC_DATE)) ERPFEB.p5_readin(rename=(Document_Date=DOC_DATE))
              ERPMAR.p6_readin(rename=(Document_Date=DOC_DATE))  ERPAPR.p7_readin(rename=(Document_Date=DOC_DATE))  ERPMAY.p8_readin(rename=(Document_Date=DOC_DATE))
              ERPJUN.p9_readin(rename=(Document_Date=DOC_DATE))  ERPJUL.p10_readin(rename=(Document_Date=DOC_DATE))
              ERPAUG.p11_readin(rename=(Document_Date=DOC_DATE))  ERPSEP.p12_readin(rename=(Document_Date=DOC_DATE));

            format _date  DOC_DATE  mmddyy10.;   /*_data is temp variable */
           _date=input(compress(Document_Date),MMDDYY10.);  /* remove blank of Document _Date */

            DOC_DATE = _date;     /* retake the DOC_DATE */
            DROP   _Date  Document_date;
      where SUBSTR(Account,1,4) IN ('2110','2112','4221','4222','4801');

RUN;

I get the following Error Message for P4-P12:

ERROR: Variable Document_Date is not on file ERPJAN.P4_READIN

ERROR: Invalid DROP, KEEP, or RENAME OPTION on file ERPJAN.P4_READIN

Any help is appreciated.  Thank you.

M.

[PGStats]

Well the first error message says that Document _Date is not a known variable name in ERPJAN.P4_READIN. Either it is misspelled OR ERPJAN.P4_READIN doesn't point where it should.

That's the first thing to fix.

PG

[Benbo123321]

Updated Code with positions for DOC_DATE and Document_Date switched. 

  Data DataRequest;

       SET ERPOCT.p1_readin ERPNOV.p2_readin ERPDEC.p3_readin /*these 3 are correctly formatted   */

              ERPJAN.p4_readin(rename=(DOC_DATE=Document_Date)) ERPFEB.p5_readin(rename=(DOC_DATE=Document_Date))

              ERPMAR.p6_readin(rename=(DOC_DATE=Document_Date))  ERPAPR.p7_readin(rename=(DOC_DATE=Document_Date))       ERPMAY.p8_readin(rename=(DOC_DATE=Document_Date))

              ERPJUN.p9_readin(rename=(DOC_DATE=Document_Date))  ERPJUL.p10_readin(rename=(DOC_DATE=Document_Date))

              ERPAUG.p11_readin(rename=(DOC_DATE=Document_Date))  ERPSEP.p12_readin(rename=(DOC_DATE=Document_Date));

            format _date  DOC_DATE  mmddyy10.;   /*_data is temp variable */

           _date=input(compress(Document_Date),MMDDYY10.);  /* remove blank of Document _Date */

            DOC_DATE = _date;     /* retake the DOC_DATE */

            DROP   _Date  Document_date;

      where SUBSTR(Account,1,4) IN ('2110','2112','4221','4222','4801');

RUN;

This code runs but with a blank Document_Date column.  I just need the Document_Date variable to be formatted correctly as a date, as it is for P1-P3, and be fully populated.

[PGStats · Accepted solution]

If DOC_DATE really is a SAS date in the first three datasets and a string in the others, then this should work:

Data DataRequest;

       SET      ERPOCT.p1_readin (in=in1)

                 ERPNOV.p2_readin (in=in2)

                 ERPDEC.p3_readin (in=in3)

              ERPJAN.p4_readin(rename=(DOC_DATE=Document_Date))

             ERPFEB.p5_readin(rename=(DOC_DATE=Document_Date))

              ERPMAR.p6_readin(rename=(DOC_DATE=Document_Date)) 

               ERPAPR.p7_readin(rename=(DOC_DATE=Document_Date))      

               ERPMAY.p8_readin(rename=(DOC_DATE=Document_Date))

              ERPJUN.p9_readin(rename=(DOC_DATE=Document_Date)) 

              ERPJUL.p10_readin(rename=(DOC_DATE=Document_Date))

              ERPAUG.p11_readin(rename=(DOC_DATE=Document_Date)) 

               ERPSEP.p12_readin(rename=(DOC_DATE=Document_Date));

            format DOC_DATE  mmddyy10.;

            if not (in1 or in2 or in3) then

                 DOC_DATE = input(compress(Document_Date), MMDDYY10.);

            DROP Document_date;

  /* Comment this out for now

  where SUBSTR(Account,1,4) IN ('2110','2112','4221','4222','4801');  */

RUN;

PG

[Benbo123321]

Thank you that appears to solve the problem for compiling these data sets.  The only "warnings" I get now are this:

WARNING: Multiple lengths were specified for the variable PERIOD by input data set(s). This may cause truncation of data.

WARNING: Multiple lengths were specified for the variable REG_NO by input data set(s). This may cause truncation of data.

NOTE: Invalid argument to function INPUT at line 35 column 18.

What does this usually indicate?

-M

[PGStats]

The warnings mean that those character variables do not have the same length in every dataset. SAS uses the variable lengths from the first dataset, so if subsequent datasets specify a longer length, values may be truncated. You may circumvent this problem by specifying a length for those variables as the first statement in the datastep (before the set statement).

The note usually results from a string that cannot be translated into a number with the requested informat. You can make SAS generate a missing value without complaining with the ?? notation : myNumber = input(myString, ?? informat.);

PG