SHA256HEX function changes a different variable

[gdb02]

When I use the SHA256HEX function and the variable length is less than 256, it appears to just spill over into other fields in the data set.   In the code below, I would expect the 'y' variable to be identical, but it is not.  Is this expected behavior, or a bug?

data test;
x="I want to hide this";
y="I want to keep this";
x=SHA256HEX(strip(x));
run;
proc print data=test;
run;

data test;
format x y $256.;
x="I want to hide this";
y="I want to keep this";
x=SHA256HEX(strip(x));
run;
proc print data=test;
run;

  I'm using SAS 9.4 TS1M8 under 64 bit windows 10. 

[Tom]

Report it to SAS support.

[ChrisHemedinger · Accepted solution]

I agree you should report it to Tech Support. If you add a LENGTH statement for the variables (best practice), then I think it works as expected. Also, if you remove the STRIP function (or assign that on a different line) it seems to work. But it's unexpected behavior.

data test;
length x $ 256 y $ 256;
x="I want to hide this";
y="I want to keep this";
x=SHA256HEX(strip(x));
run;

[gdb02]

reported: ticket # CS0242442.

[Tom]

Just the LENGTH statement does not help.  

33   data test;
34   length x1-x5 $16 ;
35   x1="I want to hide this";
36   x2="I want to keep this";
37   x1=SHA256HEX(strip(x1));
38   run;

NOTE: Variable x3 is uninitialized.
NOTE: Variable x4 is uninitialized.
NOTE: Variable x5 is uninitialized.
NOTE: The data set WORK.TEST has 1 observations and 5 variables.

Result

You need to actually make the variable the RIGHT length, which $64, not $256.  The 256 is the number of BITs, not BYTES in the SHA code.

[FreelanceReinh]

My SAS 9.4M5 (on Windows 7) does not show any of these unexpected effects. All results appear to be correct.

[Tom]

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@FreelanceReinh wrote:

My SAS 9.4M5 (on Windows 7) does not show any of these unexpected effects. All results appear to be correct.

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Same on Unix.  It works correctly with SAS 9.4 M5 but not with SAS 9.4 M7.