Does variable length affect the outcome of INDEX function?

[xyxu]

My code returns unexpected result as follows:

x = index(lowcase(security_name), lowcase("alltel communications"));
x2 = index(lowcase(security_name), lowcase(name_holding_clean));

Shouldn't x=x2? My guess is that it's related to the length of name_holding_clean, but not sure how to deal with it.

[ballardw · Accepted solution]

Most of the functions such as LOWCASE when used as a parameter to another function return the result  padded with blanks to length of the variable.

Try

x2 = index(lowcase(security_name), strip( lowcase(name_holding_clean) ) );

[xyxu]

You are right, thanks!

Why LOWCASE does not pad with blanks when the I copy the string, instead of using a variable as input?

[Kurt_Bremser]

It takes the length of the source you supply. With a literal, it is the length of the string as written, with a variable, the defined length of the variable.

[Tom]

Note that the LOWCASE() function calls has nothing to do with this issue.

SAS stores character variables as fixed length.   If you assign a value that is shorter than the max then it is padded with spaces. If you assign a value that is longer it is truncated.

[Kurt_Bremser]

See Maxim 46.