calculated character variable in proc sql

[SAS_inquisitive]

Calculated  is not working in character variable alias.

proc sql;
  select name as name1,
         calculated (substr(name1,1,2)) as test
    from sashelp.class;
quit;

[ChrisNZ · Accepted solution]

Works fine for me:

proc sql;
  select upcase(NAME)                 as NAME1
        ,substr(calculated NAME1,1,2) as NAME2
  from SASHELP.CLASS;
quit;

NAME1	NAME2
ALFRED	AL
ALICE	AL
BARBARA	BA
CAROL	CA
HENRY	HE
JAMES	JA

[RW9]

Calculated is not a function, so your syntax:

calculated (<some code>) 

is invalid, it should read:

calculated <calculated variable name>

And then any further code should appear outside that statement.

This point is however moot as the code:

proc sql;
  select name as name1,
         substr(name,1,2) as test
    from sashelp.class;
quit;

Is in fact all you need, the calculated just adds more processing onto the whole thing so is a waste. 

[Loko]

name1 is not a calculated variable within the proc sql syntax. It is an alias you set to an already existing variable from the data file.

Calculated makes sens when you refer to a variable that it is generated in the proc sql.

Consider the following as an example:

proc sql;
  select name as name1,
         substr(name1,1,2) as test,
		  length(calculated test) as test1
    from sashelp.class;
quit;