BookmarkSubscribeRSS Feed
🔒 This topic is solved and locked. Need further help from the community? Please sign in and ask a new question.
luch25
Obsidian | Level 7

Hello,

 

I need to concatenate 100 columns of numeric values. An small example dataset is provided below. I want the concatenated variable to be separated by a space, so the variable reads like this: "41 42 43 44 45 46 47"; "61 62 63 64". Note that some rows have missing values (they don't have a value for each column). 

data have;
input col1 col2 col3 col4 col5 col6 col7;
cards;
41 42 43 44 45 46 47
51 52 53 54 55 57 .
61 62 63 64 . . .
71 . . . . . . 
81 82 83 84 . . .
;

I tried the following code, as well as some other modifications, but can't quite get the correct answer. The following code does not include a space and includes "." for columns with missing values ("61626364...").

data want; set have;
all=catt(' ', of col:);
drop col:;
run;

Any advice?

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions
novinosrin
Tourmaline | Level 20

HI @luch25  Would this help?

 

data have;
input col1 col2 col3 col4 col5 col6 col7;
cards;
41 42 43 44 45 46 47
51 52 53 54 55 57 .
61 62 63 64 . . .
71 . . . . . . 
81 82 83 84 . . .
;

data want;
 set have;
 want=translate(catx(' ',of col:),' ','.');
run;

View solution in original post

4 REPLIES 4
novinosrin
Tourmaline | Level 20

HI @luch25  Would this help?

 

data have;
input col1 col2 col3 col4 col5 col6 col7;
cards;
41 42 43 44 45 46 47
51 52 53 54 55 57 .
61 62 63 64 . . .
71 . . . . . . 
81 82 83 84 . . .
;

data want;
 set have;
 want=translate(catx(' ',of col:),' ','.');
run;
luch25
Obsidian | Level 7
Yes, thank you!!
andreas_lds
Jade | Level 19

Minor variation of the solution posted by @novinosrin :

 

options missing=' ';

data want;
   set have;
   length want $ 100;
   want = catx(' ', of col:);
run;

options missing='.';

Without the length-statement catx sets the length to 200 chars, if you list is far longer than those seven variables you should, truncation should be expected.

Ksharp
Super User

Alternative way is :

data have;
input col1 col2 col3 col4 col5 col6 col7;
cards;
41 42 43 44 45 46 47
51 52 53 54 55 57 .
61 62 63 64 . . .
71 . . . . . . 
81 82 83 84 . . .
;
options missing=' ';
data want;
 set have;
 want=catx(' ',of col:);
run;

SAS Innovate 2025: Register Now

Registration is now open for SAS Innovate 2025 , our biggest and most exciting global event of the year! Join us in Orlando, FL, May 6-9.
Sign up by Dec. 31 to get the 2024 rate of just $495.
Register now!

How to Concatenate Values

Learn how use the CAT functions in SAS to join values from multiple variables into a single value.

Find more tutorials on the SAS Users YouTube channel.

SAS Training: Just a Click Away

 Ready to level-up your skills? Choose your own adventure.

Browse our catalog!

Discussion stats
  • 4 replies
  • 1816 views
  • 1 like
  • 4 in conversation