Counting non-missing character variables.

[GemmaR]

Hi All,

I am trying to use a dataset to count the occurances of non missing values within a dynamic list of character variables.

Is there a function that I can't find on help such as CMISS but that counts non missing instead?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

[data_null__]

Perhaps if you make an array then use

[pre]
notMissing = dim(array)-cmiss(of array

);
[/pre]

[GemmaR]

Thanks for the suggestion data_null, it just needs to be even more simple than an array or a do loop as they don't know those. We are using EG and I just didn't know if there was a function I had missed along the way.......

[data_null__]

There is no DO looping involved. I don't know EG but this seems pretty simple to me.

[pre]
data ...;
set ...;
array _c

_character_;
notmissing = dim(_c) - cmiss(of _c

);
run;
[/pre]

AFAIK you will need to define the array to determine the number of _character_ variables.

[Peter_C]

how dynamic is the list of character variables?
Possibly could use the modifiers which provide more support for delimters.
CATQ() and COUNTW(), as shown in this SASlog snippet :[pre]1625 %let dynamic_var_list = c a b ;
1626 data ;
1627 a='1'; b='|'; c=' ' ;
1628 d= catq( 'mdt','|', of a c b );
1629 put d= ;
1630 e= countw( d, '|', 'mq' ) ;
1631 f= countw( d, '|', 'q' ) ;
1632 put e= f= ;
1633 allasone= countW( catq( 'mdt','|', of &dynamic_var_list ), '|', 'q' ) ;
1634 put (_all_)(=) ;
1635 run;

d=1||"|"
e=3 f=2
a=1 b=| c= d=1||"|" e=3 f=2 allasone=2
NOTE:

[Cynthia_sas]

Hi:
Here's my .02 -- when I see "count" and "values", I automatically think of PROC FREQ. PROC FREQ can create an output dataset and it can take:
TABLES _CHARACTER_;
or TABLES &wantchar;

in the syntax.

You said you were trying to -use- a dataset to do the counting...I interpreted that as dataset going in, but ??? what's coming out ??? another dataset or a report??

cynthia

[GemmaR]

Hello there,

Thanks for all the advice, am going to go with do-loops and arrays to output and count the information that I've got.