Generate a random number without repetition

[Demographer]

Hello,

I try to make the microsimulation with SAS, meaning that a starting database is regenerated assuming certain conditions and assumptions. Some observations would also be added. In the starting database, a variable NOINDIV identifies each case. My problem is the following: I want to assign a single NOINDIV to each observations added. I can not use a random function (rand) to assign this NOINDIV because the rounded number generated could be not unique. Anyone knows what to do?

Thanks

[DanielSantos]

It's really necessary to be random?

A sequence number will guarantee the uniqueness of the value.

Cheers from Portugal!

Daniel Santos @ www.cgd.pt

[TomKari]

I agree with Daniel. And if you want your ID number to "look" random, generate a SAS dataset with two variables; a sequential number and a random number. Then sort it by the random number, and assign your sequential numbers in the resulting order.

Tom

[Demographer]

Thanks for your comment. The randomness is not necessary, but I'm not sure what to do with what you suggest. To clarify, it's a population projection on 20 years, so there is 20 regenerations. Cases added during each regeneration are immigrants. Once the ID number is assigned, it must be conserved for each regeneration.

[RichardinOz · Accepted solution]

Assuming you have a starting population (StudyPop) and a series of separate datasets of immigrants (NewPop1980 etc), you can assign the sequential NOINDIV to the starting population with an initial id of e.g. 123457 (one more than in the Retain statement) :

Data StudyPop ;

    Retain NOINDIV 123456 ;

    Set StudyPop ;

    NOINDIV = NOINDIV + 1 ;

Run ;

The following steps can be implemented as a macro, run it for each new population to be added.

To continue the sequential series; first find the maximum NOINDIV from your previous generation and insert that into a macro variable; then use the maximum as the starting point for the next series.

%Macro AddNewPop (NewPop) ;

Proc SQL NoPrint ;

    Select Max (NOINDIV)

        Into :MaxNOINDIV

    From  StudyPop

    ;

Quit ;

/* Add the NOINDIV sequential value to the new population */

Data NewPop ;

    Retain NOINDIV &MaxNOINDIV ;

    Set NewPop ;

    NOINDIV = NOINDIV + 1 ;

Run ;

/* Append the new population to the study population */

Proc Append

        Base = StudyPop

        Data = NewPop

        ;

Run ;

%Mend ;

Now use the macro thus :

%AddNewPop (NewPop1980) ;

%AddNewPop (NewPop1981) ;

%AddNewPop (NewPop1982) ;

etc.