Prevent Truncation of Variable Name

[serena13lee]

I have a data step that has the following format: 

data in (keep= x y z);
set have; 
if x='today' and y ='tomorrow'; 
parameter  = ''; 
if var1 = 'Good' then var = 1;
    	else if var1 = 'Bad' then var = 2;
    	else if var = 0; 
var1 = x; 
run; 

When I run this, my var1 output becomes truncated like the following: 

var1    x
  t     today
  y  yesterday 
  e    earlier 
         

I have tried inserting a line to define the length: 

length parameter $20 var1 $50;

But this didn't fix the issue. Is there anyway I can resolve this? 

[Tom · Accepted solution]

They is nothing in that code that would define VAR1 as length $1.  

Does VAR1 already exist in the input dataset, HAVE?

If so it perhaps have a format attached to it?

Set the length BEFORE pulling the dataset.  You cannot change the length of character variable after it has already been set.

Then remove any format that might be attached to it.  In fact why not just remove any formats attached to any of your character variables.

data in (keep= x y z);
  length parameter $20 var1 $50;
  set have; 
  ....
  format _character_ ;
run;

[serena13lee]

Thanks! That was exactly what I needed.

[Kurt_Bremser]

Lines 2 and 3 can NOT have come from your code, as you have a subsetting if on x = "today".

Please show an example for dataset have, the code you actually ran and the result from that specific run.

[serena13lee]

Thanks! Sorry for the theoretical approach. It appears that changing the area of where I added length was sufficient in resolving my issue. I will add a 'have' dataset in the future.