identifying variable value within a set of variables with similiar names

[dennisl]

Dear SAS Users.

perhaps you can provide me with an elegant way to solve the following issue:

My data set contains a set of variables named fab* where * is a number from 1 to 60. The variables contain a four digit code. I want to create a dummer variable fabid. It should have the value 1 if the two first digits equal 02 in one of the values of the 60 fab* variables for one observation. Is there a quick way to avoid writing an if condition without refering to all 60 variables' names?

Best,

Dennis

[Haikuo · Accepted solution]

Array() is your friend:

data want;

  set have;

   array test $4. fab1-fab60;

     do over test;

        if test=:'02' then new_var=1;

      end;

run;

Haikuo