WHERE, LIKE, wildcard characters, and macro substitutions

[deleted_user]

I have a dataset with the variable "field_number" and I want to retain all records that start with a 'T' or 'B'. I am using this macro substitution and calling it in a where clause:

%let fieldnum = 'T%' or 'B%';

data step1; set data;
where Field_number like &fieldnum
run;

It works if I only want 'T%' samples but not if I also want 'B%' samples. Seems simple, but I just can't figure out the correct syntax.

[data_null__]

Don't you need another like operator?

%let fieldnum = like 'T%' or like 'B%';

[data_null__]

Don't you need another like operator?

%let fieldnum = like 'T%' or like 'B%';

[deleted_user]

I suppose that would work but it's not the clean solution I was looking for. Tried it and received errors. Probably have incorrect parenthesis in the where clause.


Message was edited by: DDC

[deleted_user]

Why not just:

where field_number in: ('T' 'B');

[deleted_user]

Because the field_number is more than one character, and I want those that start with T or B (which is why I have the %). And I can't get IN to work with character wildcard.

[deleted_user]

The colon after the IN tells SAS to look for cases where the value starts with the characters/s in the quotes.

[deleted_user]

Ahhh, I overlooked the colon in your post. Works now. Good to know. Thanks a lot.

[deleted_user]

Yeh, it's only little but it can save a whole lot of effort.