How to skip rows with retain statment?

[Elenatec]

Hi,

I am new to SAS very much appreciated from your reply. My client gave me a txt file which look like the file I have attached, I would like to know how use SAS to capture valid data or skip unessary rows from the raw files and replace those empty column such as date and area.

[Ksharp · Accepted solution]

OK.

filename x  'c:\temp\query1.txt';
data x;
 infile x  expandtabs  pad ;
 input @;
 if left(_infile_) in: ('FIles' 'Date' '======') or missing(_infile_) then delete;
  else  input date $ 8-16 area $ 22-28 id $ 31-39 type $ 40-44 country $ 47-65;
run;
data want;
 set x;
 retain _d _a '            ';
 if not missing(date) then _d=date;
 if not missing(area) then _a=area;
 date=coalescec(date,_d);
 area=coalescec(area,_a);
 drop _d _a;
run;

Ksharp

[Elenatec]

Hi Ksharp,

Thanks for your quick reply, I will try and learn your code atm.So late on I recieved another txt file from the client again now all the "tab" changed to "space" does the expandtabs effected with your code?

Ong

[Ksharp]

NO. You can use it without change.

[Elenatec]

Hi Ksharp,

Many Thanks, I am totally new to this SAS even I have basic programming languages knowledge still can't complete my work, very much appreciated from your help. one last questiong about the code 

retain _d _a '            ';

whats the purpose of the last '              ' section?

Ong

[Ksharp]

Assign '       '    as initial value of _d and _a