PRXPARSE in datastep

[nkm1]

Hi, I am not getting why this program is not giving me expected result. Is there any issue of compiling prxparse as I was expecting atleast one of b c d variable have value. but it is only populated for D for first row as it was having cat. but i was expecting c and d also populated for second and third row bit it is not. Is there any specific regarding prxparse that we cannot use for multiple time in same code. 

data test1;
a = 'there is a cat' ;
output;
a = 'IT IS UNIT1A' ;
output;
a = 'IT IS unit' ;
output;
run;

data test2;
set test1;
retain patternID_1 patternID_2 patternID_3;
if _n_ = 1 then do;
patternID_1 = prxparse('/UNIT1A$/i');
patternID_2 = prxparse('/UNIT$/i');
patternID_3 = prxparse('/cat$/i');
end;

b = prxmatch(patternID_1,a);
c = prxmatch(patternID_2,a);
d = prxmatch(patternID_3,a);
run;

proc print data=test2;run;

[ed_sas_member]

Hi @nkm1 

It seems that SAS adds trailing blanks at the end of the 'a' variable:

Test:

data test2;
	set test1;
	i=tranwrd(a," ","X");
run;

To correct it, you can either do :

data test2;
	set test1;
	retain patternID_1 patternID_2 patternID_3;

	if _n_=1 then do;
			patternID_1=prxparse('/UNIT1A\s*$/i'); /*add \s* */
			patternID_2=prxparse('/UNIT\s*$/i'); /*add \s* */
			patternID_3=prxparse('/cat\s*$/i'); /*add \s* */
	end;
	b=prxmatch(patternID_1, a);
	c=prxmatch(patternID_2, a);
	d=prxmatch(patternID_3, a);
run;

proc print data=test2;
run;

or

data test2;
	set test1;

	retain patternID_1 patternID_2 patternID_3;

	if _n_=1 then do;
			patternID_1=prxparse('/UNIT1A$/i'); 
			patternID_2=prxparse('/UNIT$/i');
			patternID_3=prxparse('/cat$/i');
	end;
	b=prxmatch(patternID_1, trim(a)); /*add trim(a) */
	c=prxmatch(patternID_2, trim(a)); /*add trim(a) */
	d=prxmatch(patternID_3, trim(a)); /*add trim(a) */
run;

proc print data=test2;
run;

[ChrisNZ]

SAS strings are fixed-length.

Once the length for A is determined in a data step, it cannot change.

So if the value you save does not use all the length, the rest of the string contains spaces.

[Tom]

Looks like it is doing what you asked.

3015  data test1;
3016   do a='there is a cat','IT IS UNIT1A','IT IS unit' ;
3017     b = prxmatch('/UNIT1A$/i',a);
3018     c = prxmatch('/UNIT$/i',a);
3019     d = prxmatch('/cat$/i',a);
3020     put (_all_) (=);
3021     output;
3022   end;
3023  run;

a=there is a cat b=0 c=0 d=12
a=IT IS UNIT1A b=0 c=0 d=0
a=IT IS unit b=0 c=0 d=0

Did you want to trim the value of A?

3042  data test1;
3043   do a='there is a cat','IT IS UNIT1A','IT IS unit' ;
3044     b = prxmatch('/UNIT1A$/i',trim(a));
3045     c = prxmatch('/UNIT$/i',trim(a));
3046     d = prxmatch('/cat$/i',trim(a));
3047     put (_all_) (=);
3048     output;
3049   end;
3050  run;

a=there is a cat b=0 c=0 d=12
a=IT IS UNIT1A b=7 c=0 d=0
a=IT IS unit b=0 c=7 d=0