How to assign the same attribute to new variables by copy the existing variable

[bhanuprakash]

I would like to apply same attributes what ever we have for “age” variable to “agenew” variable.

Note: I don't want to create any macro/macro variable for this. 

          I need to do this in same data set. 

For example:

data test;

       set sashelp.class;

      agenew = put(age,best.);

run ;

[Astounding]

If you want the same values, just use:

agenew = age;

If you just want the attributes and not the values, use:

if 5=4 then agenew = age;

This requires that AGENEW is not yet part of the incoming data.

[bhanuprakash]

Thanks for the reply.

Sorry to say that but my question is completely different.

I want to apply the same attributes(length, type, informat and format etc ) what ever we have for “age” variable to “agenew” variable.

[Astounding]

So did you actually try my suggestion, or did you just decide that it wouldn't work?

if 5=4 then agenew = age;

[Kurt_Bremser]

How about this:

data want;
merge
  sashelp.class
  sashelp.class (keep=age rename=(age=agenew))
;
agenew = .; /* add any processing you want to do, but make sure you get results of the correct type */
run;

[Kurt_Bremser · Accepted solution]

Not possible in any way. age is numeric, agenew will be character by definition, so there's no way they could have the same attributes.

[andreas_lds]

---

@bhanuprakash wrote:

I would like to apply same attributes what ever we have for “age” variable to “agenew” variable.

Note: I don't want to create any macro/macro variable for this. 

          I need to do this in same data set. 

For example:

data test;

       set sashelp.class;

      agenew = put(age,best.);

run ;

---

There are no commands to clone the attributes of a variable, except using the merge suggested by @Kurt_Bremser. The functions open, attrn and attrc can read the attributes of a variable, but there are no functions to change those attributes in a datastep.

[data_null__]

---

@bhanuprakash wrote:

I would like to apply same attributes what ever we have for “age” variable to “agenew” variable.

Note: I don't want to create any macro/macro variable for this. 

          I need to do this in same data set. 

For example:

data test;

       set sashelp.class;

      agenew = put(age,best.);

run ;

---

You can convert numeric to character using PROC TRANSPOSE.  For example.

proc transpose data=sashelp.class(obs=3)  out=flip;
   by name;
   var sex--weight;
   copy sex--weight; 
   attrib _all_ label='Example Label';
   format _numeric_ 8.2;
   run;
proc print data=flip(obs=10);
   run;
proc transpose data=flip out=flop(drop=_:) prefix=New_;
   by name;
   copy sex--weight;
   id _name_;
   idlabel _label_;
   var col1;
   run;
proc print;
   run;