PUTN query

[brophymj]

Hi, this is probably straighforward but...

I'm using the following code within a datastep:

x =  PUTN(VARIABLE1, FORMATTABLE);

Basically, variable one is age and formattable is a tables that has ranges (start and end values) and if the age is within the range it returns a letter (the Label)

The dataset is huge and in some cases there won't be a match and i just want sas to skip over it or give it a value of blank. It is leaving it blank in these cases but I get this horrible message in the log 'Argument 2 to PUTN at line xx column xx is invalid' followed by a long list of the values for the row.

Is there a cleaner approach to this in sas. A bit like in excel where you use iferror(var1, "")??

Many thanks

Matthew

[RW9]

PUTN() is not the function for what you are attempting to do.  PUTN() is used to put a numeric variable into a specific numeric format at run-time.  What I believe you are trying to do is to set a format on the numeric.  E.g.

proc format;

     value myfmt

     1-10 = "A"

     11-20 = "B";

run;

data have;

  attrib myval format=best.;

  attrib result format=$20.;

  myval=1;

  result=put(myval,myfmt.);

  output;

  myval=15;

  result=put(myval,myfmt.);

  output;

run;

[brophymj]

The PUTN function works perfectly for this as long as there is a corresponding value in the table. If the age is 10 and the start value in the table formatable is 9 and the end value is 11 and the label for this range is A, the above function returns A and it has worked for me. It's when there is no match I want a clean way of avoiding error messages.

[Reeza]

Pre calculate the value for your format, and if it's missing have a backup format, either in your format table.

proc format;

value missing_fmt

missing = "NA";

run;

if missing(format_wanted) then format_wanted="missing_fmt.";

new_var=putn(var, format_wanted);

[brophymj]

HI Reeza thanks for your help. I've tried that but I'm still get errors. I've attached the exact code i used for the datastep.

Thank you

[Haikuo]

We would need more details.  From the error message It seems to me that it not the  VARIABLE1 that is the culprit, as if it is, the putn will just throw a missing value. Please check out the following example and reveal more necessary details about FORMATTABLE:

proc format;

   value writfmt 1='date9.'

                 2='wrong format';

run;

quit;

data dates;

   input number key;

   datefmt=put(key,writfmt.);

   date=putn(number,datefmt);

   datalines;

15756 1

14552 2

;

1 proc format;

2 value writfmt 1='date9.'

3 2='wrong format';

NOTE: Format WRITFMT has been output.

4 run;

NOTE: PROCEDURE FORMAT used (Total process time):

  real time 0.09 seconds

  cpu time 0.03 seconds

5 quit;

6 data dates;

7 input number key;

8 datefmt=put(key,writfmt.);

9 date=putn(number,datefmt);

10 datalines;

NOTE: Argument 2 to function PUTN at line 9 column 9 is invalid.

RULE: ----+----1----+----2----+----3----+----4----+----5----+----6----+----7----+----8----+-

12 14552 2

number=14552 key=2 datefmt=wrong format date= _ERROR_=1 _N_=2

NOTE: The data set WORK.DATES has 2 observations and 4 variables.

NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):

  real time 0.13 seconds

  cpu time 0.14 seconds

13 ;

Regards,

Haikuo

[brophymj]

Hi Hai.kuo

Apologies for not giving more detail. A bit of background...

I created a format table before this code using the 'proc format cntlin = table1 fmtlib; run;

the table was a licence age table which contained the table name, ages ranged, and a banding corresponding to the range. So the first row of the table was LICAGEAAA  0 5 A.

So, the table had 4 fields:

Fmtname = LICAGEAAA

Start = 0

End 5

Label = A 

The format table consists of many rows as this relates to products (product AAA in example above) but the licence age ranges vary by product.

Later on in the code I need to reference this table so I can attache on the label to my dataset. So, if the licence age in one of the rows of my dataset is 4, i want to attach on the label A. Reeza kinfly helped me with this last week and it worked.

The code I use to call the label from this table is

LicenseAge = Putn(licenseage, Catt("LICAGE",product));

Licenseage and product are two fields in my dataset - Reeza helped me out with the Catt function.

My query here is that if the CATT("Licage",Product) for a particular row has no match in the table, It leaves it blank but I get a formatting error in the log  which I don't like. It actually doesn't affect the caluclation but I would like to replace these missing values with "N/A" and have no errors in the log.

Does this make sense at all?

[Haikuo · Accepted solution]

I think there is easy fix for you:

1. In your format table, add one row to take care of those non-matched records:

Fmtname = LICAGENONMATCH

Start = 0 /*VALUE IS NOT RELEVANT*/

End 5  /*VALUE IS NOT RELEVANT*/

Label = /*BLANK HERE*/

2, Change your  statement as the following;

LicenseAge = Putn(licenseage, Cats("LICAGE", coalescec(product, 'NONMATCH'))); /*WHEN PRODUCT IS MISSING, YOU WILL HAVE FORMAT  LICAGENONMATCH IN PLAY, AND  LICAGENONMATCH HAS ALREADY BEEN DEFINED.*/

Good luck and sorry for the caps,

Haikuo

[jakarman]

SAS(R) 9.3 Functions and CALL Routines: Reference putn see example 2.
The putn is needing a string as second parameter that is a valid format. When it is not a valid one it will fail.
If you are using a variable for that it is up to you coding in a way that assure it is having a valid format.   Good coding practice.

[jakarman]

You are telling you have a table of licenseage varying in product. 
For every product you have defined a format.  The can be a format (eg dummyNA)  when applied will always give the value 'N/A' 
You could define a format that applied to the product will result in the associated format. When no format is applicable then that dummyNA format is the resulting value. The result/goal always having a valid value existing format.