Set Statement Not Populating

[InspectahDex]

I have a dataset that I brought in using PROC IMPORT that I called SOWED. It was 9 variables in that dataset and I want to use those 9 variables to create 70 other variables in a new dataset that I'm calling SOWED1.

However, I want the 70 variables to each have a length of 100 (character) and want two of the variables to have a date format. So in short: I want to create a new dataset using the old dataset but want to have a lengths and formats specified. The problem is nothing happens when I run the data step. Nothing in the log and nothing in my output. This seems to happen because of my length and format statements because when I take them out, the data step runs and I get a log and output. What am I doing wrong?

data sowed1;
format graduation_year year4. university_thru_date mmddyy10.;
length

newvar1

newvar2

newvar3

...

newvar70
$ 100; 
set SOWED;

run;

[novinosrin]

" Nothing in the log and nothing in my output."-- That sounds a bit vague. Can you please try restarting your system and run the code again in piecemeal. 

Once you have successfully imported SOWED, please take a look at the PROC CONTENTS and PROC PRINT restricting to 50 records (OBS=50) to check if the dataset SOWED import worked as expected.

Also, you could post your full code and the log. 

[SASKiwi]

Most likely your LENGTH or FORMAT statements contain a opening comment or quote characters without closing them. Remove unmatched characters such as these /* */ ' " * 

[Reeza]

If all your variables have the same prefix you can list them as newvar1-newvar70, you don't need to manually list them all.

[Tom · Accepted solution]

How did you "import" the original data?  If the original file is a text file, like a CSV file, then just write your own data step to read it and you can create the variables the way you want the first time.

[InspectahDex]

The file was xlsx. I changed it to CSV and it worked!