Blanks after variable in Output to XML file

[bergsorensen]

Im having a small issue creating an XML output.

Each variable in my put statement, generates and blank after it (which it shouldnt!).

Heres a small sample code:

data _null_;

set step2 end=eof;

output;

file  'c:\Data.xml';

if _n_=1 then do;

  put '<chart>';

end;

  put '<set label="'visityearweek'" value="'count'"/>';  <----- PROBLEM!

if (eof=1) then do;

  put '</chart>';

end;

run;

Current output:

<set label="2014-04 " value="2839 "/> <--- BLANKS after var..!

<set label="2014-05 " value="3232 "/>

<set label="2014-06 " value="2433 "/>

Anyone got an idea why this occurs? (i have tried to compress/strip the variables first without luck, theres no blanks in data).

Best

Kasper

[bergsorensen]

Issue not resolved.

[RichardinOz · Accepted solution]

Try

put '<set label="'visityearweek+(-1)'" value="'count+(-1)'"/>';

Richard

[bergsorensen]

Thanks - thats the (though its not logic why needed) solution.

[RichardinOz]

The put statement by default adds a delimiting space at the end of each variable printed so list output does not run everything together. 

In this context the + is a pointer control, so +9 would move the pointer (the next printing position) 9 spaces further. 

There is no '-' pointer control so if you need to move back one space you need to advance the pointer control by (-1).

An alternative would be to place your text and values explicitly using the @ pointer, but you might have to calculate the length of the count variable each time.

Richard