How to import different datasets with differents variables from the same text file

[FelipeR]

I have a large text file with fixed columns that I need to import to SAS. The same file contains information at three levels: firms, associates and economic variables.

The first character of every observation tells wich level the values in the row are about (1 is about firms, 2 about associates...). According to the layout, each level has different variables of different lenghts.

This is a small example of the data I have to import. The first 4 variable are the same but afterwards each level has its own variables with different lenghts. The variable "type" identifies which level the observation is about. And all the other variables are bunched up in "other" and all the lines end with a "F":

DATA WORK.test;
    INFILE DATALINES;
    INPUT
        type $ 1-1
        full_registry $ 2-2
	type_update $ 3-3
	cnpj $ 4-17
	other $ 18-1200
;
DATALINES;
1F 000000000001911BANCO DO BRASIL SA                                                                                                                                    DIRECAO GERAL                                          022005110300                                                                                                                                2038196608016422100QUADRA              SAUN QUADRA 5 LOTE B TORRES III E III                     SN    ANDAR 1 A 16              SALA  101 A 1601          ANDAR 1 A 16              SALA  101 A 1601          ANDAR 1 A 16              SALA  101 A 1601          ASA NORTE                                         70040912DF9701BRASILIA                                          61  34939002            61  34931040SECEX'BB.COM.BR                                                                                                    10060000000000000500000000000000000N                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  F
2F 000000000001912MARCIO HAMILTON FERREIRA                                                                                                                              000***923641**100000020101117                                                                         ***000000**CPF INVALIDO                                                00                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        F
2F 000000000001912NILSON MARTINIANO MOREIRA                                                                                                                             000***491386**100000020101117                                                                         ***000000**CPF INVALIDO                                                00                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        F
2F 000000000001912WALTER MALIENI JUNIOR                                                                                                                                 000***718468**100000020101117                                                                         ***000000**CPF INVALIDO                                                00                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        F
2F 000000000001912PAULO ROGERIO CAFFARELLI                                                                                                                              000***887279**160000020101117                                                                         ***000000**CPF INVALIDO                                                00                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        F
2F 000000000001912ADRIANO MEIRA RICCI                                                                                                                                   000***550741**100000020120327                                                                         ***000000**CPF INVALIDO                                                00                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        F
2F 000000000001912CARLOS ALBERTO ARAUJO NETTO                                                                                                                           000***415907**100000020120327                                                                         ***000000**CPF INVALIDO                                                00                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        F
2F 000000000001912JOSE RICARDO **bleep**ONDE FORNI                                                                                                                            000***261501**100000020180410                                                                         ***000000**CPF INVALIDO                                                00                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        F
2F 000000000001912MARCOS RENATO COLTRI                                                                                                                                  000***653918**100000020180410                                                                         ***000000**CPF INVALIDO                                                00                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        F
2F 000000000001912CARLA NESI                                                                                                                                            000***295868**100000020180412                                                                         ***000000**CPF INVALIDO                                                00                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        F
2F 000000000001912BERNARDO DE AZEVEDO SILVA ROTHE                                                                                                                       000***890627**100000020180418                                                                         ***000000**CPF INVALIDO                                                00                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        F
2F 000000000001912ANTONIO GUSTAVO MATOS DO VALE                                                                                                                         000***370266**100000020170614                                                                         ***000000**CPF INVALIDO                                                00                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        F
6F 00000000000191649999900000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         F
1F 000000000002722BANCO DO BRASIL SA                                                                                                                                    MANAUS (AM)                                            022005110300                                                                                                                                2038197608136421200RUA                 GUILHERME MOREIRA                                           315                                                                                                                                                               CENTRO                                            69005300AM0255MANAUS                                                                                                                                                                                                   10000000000000000500000000000000000                        00000000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   F
1F 000000000003532BANCO DO BRASIL SA                                                                                                                                    PRESIDENTE VARGAS BELEM (PA)                           022005110300                                                                                                                                2038196608016422100                    AVEN PRESIDENTE VARGAS                                      248                                                                                                                                                               COMERCIO                                          66010900PA0427BELEM                                                                                                                                                                                                    10000000000000000500000000000000000                        00000000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   F
1F 000000000004342BANCO DO BRASIL SA                                                                                                                                    SANTOS - SANTOS (SP)                                   022005110300                                                                                                                                2038196608016422100RUA                 15 DE NOVEMBRO                                              195                                                                                                                                                               CENTRO                                            11010908SP7071SANTOS                                                                                                                                                                                                   10000000000000000500000000000000000                        00000000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   F
1F 000000000005152BANCO DO BRASIL SA                                                                                                                                    CAMPOS EST.UNIF.                                       022005110300                                                                                                                                2038196608016421200PRACA               DAS 4 JORNADAS                                              11                                                                                                                                                                CENTRO                                            28030002RJ5819CAMPOS DOS GOYTACAZES                                                                                                                                                                                    10000000000000000500000000000000000                        00000000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   F
1F 000000000006042BANCO DO BRASIL SA                                                                                                                                    SALVADOR (BA)                                          022005110300                                                                                                                                20381966080164221004A AVENIDA          CENTRO ADMINISTRATIVO DA BAHIA                              600                                                                                                                                                               CENTRO ADMINISTRATIVO DA BAHIA                    41745002BA3849SALVADOR                                          71  3362880371  3362895271  32420844AGE0006'BB.COM.BR                                                                                                  10000000000000000500000000000000000                        00000000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   F
1F 000000000261582BANCO DO BRASIL SA                                                                                                                                    MACAPA-EST.UNIF.                                       022005110300                                                                                                                                2038196608016421200RUA                 - INDEPENDENCIA                                             250                                                                                                                                                               CENTRO                                            68900090AP0605MACAPA                                            096 2232155                                                                                                                                            10000000000000000500000000000000000                        00000000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   F
1F 000000000262392BANCO DO BRASIL SA                                                                                                                                    VOLTA REDONDA-EST.UNIF.                                022005110300                                                                                                                                2038196608016421200RUA                 VEREADOR L F GUIMARAES                                      12                                                                                                                                                                ATERRADO                                          27211130RJ5925VOLTA REDONDA                                                                                                                                                                                            10000000000000000500000000000000000                        00000000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   F
;;;;
run;

I thought of two possibilities:

I. Read the txt three times with the three layouts for each level. Throw away the the observations that were read wrong. I'm not sure if this will work.

II. Read the first 4 variabels and put the rest of the line on a string variable, like I did in this example. Then use a bunch of substr() to separate the several variables. I'm not sure if this is the smartest way to do this.

Am I'm missing a much simpler way to do this?

I'm using Enterprise version 7.13.

[Kurt_Bremser · Accepted solution]

Read the first character and use a line hold (@). After that, you can selectively input the rest of the line, according to what the first character tells you.