how to rename variable names

[littlestone]

suppose the variable names have no any pattern, like the following:

data test;

input _X A1 _10 _B;

cards;

1 2 3 4

;

I want to rename the variable names so that the new variable names will be: Var1, Var2, Var3 and Var4.

Instead of rename each variable one by one, is there any other way?

[FriedEgg · Accepted solution]

data have;

input _X A1 _10 _B;

cards;

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8

;

run;

data _null_;

set sashelp.vcolumn(where=(libname='WORK' and memname='HAVE')) end=eof;

call symput('r' !! strip(put(_n_,best.)),name);

if eof=1 then call symput('nobs',put(_n_,best.));

run;

data _null_;

length vars $512;

retain vars;

do i=1 to &nobs;

  if i=1 then vars='';

  rname=compress(symget("r" !! strip(i)) !! '=var' !! i,' ');

  vars=catx(' ', of vars rname);

  if i=&nobs then call symput('vars',vars);

end;

run;

proc datasets lib=work nolist;

modify have;

rename &vars;

quit;

run;

[data_null__]

Here is one example, using dictionary.columns and VARNUM to create the new name.

1824  proc sql noprint;
1825     select catx('=',name,cats('var',varnum)) into :rename separated by ' '
1826        from dictionary.columns
1827        where libname eq 'SASHELP' and memname eq 'HEART';
1828     quit;
NOTE: PROCEDURE SQL used (Total process time):
      real time           0.00 seconds
      cpu time            0.00 seconds
1829     run;
1830  %put NOTE: RENAME=&rename;
NOTE: RENAME=Status=var1 DeathCause=var2 AgeCHDdiag=var3 Sex=var4 AgeAtStart=var5
Height=var6 Weight=var7 Diastolic=var8 Systolic=var9 MRW=var10 Smoking=var11
AgeAtDeath=var12 Cholesterol=var13 Chol_Status=var14 BP_Status=var15 Weight_Status=var16
Smoking_Status=var17

[Ksharp]

Try this: not test

data class;
 set sashelp.class;
run;

data _null_;
 set sashelp.vcolumn(keep=libname memname name where=(libname='WORK' and memname='CLASS')) end=last;
 if _n_ eq 1 then call execute('proc datasets library=work;modify class;rename ');
 count+1;
 call execute(strip(name)||'= var'||strip(count));
 if last then call execute(';quit;');
run;

Ksharp

[littlestone]

Thank you all for great help.

I never realize SASHELP Dictionary Views can be so powerful and thank you all for teaching me.