input statement issue

[MarcusX]

I am encountering an issue with my input statement that is dealing with space in the raw file. I have a raw file that has the first and last name but there exists a space in between them. I want to read them as a fullname but the space delimiter in between is causing the character to spill into the next variable which is city. How would one go about reading the fullname in such a situation? I currently have the following statement :

DATA HW2.PRES1;
INFILE PRES1;
INPUT FULLNAME $18. CITY $15. STATE $15. ASP 2. BOD DATE9. TERM  VOTES   PERCVOTE;
CARDS;
RUN;

[novinosrin]

Do you have two or more blank spaces between last name and city? can you confirm this? Also post a sample plz

[MarcusX]

yes i do.

[VDD]

if your records are fixed position this will work

data have;
	input @1 name $18. @19 city $;
cards;
myself,only       here
you,and,i,        there
stuff,1           nowhere
;

[VDD]

data have;
	input @1 name $18. @19 city $ state $;
cards;
myself,only       here              AK
you,and,i,        there ID
stuff,1           nowhere  UK
;

[Astounding]

You will have to show the actual program you ran that contains the problem.  This program does not have the problem you describe.  It reads everything in columns 1 through 18 as the value of FULLNAME, blanks included.

[ballardw]

---

@MarcusX wrote:

I am encountering an issue with my input statement that is dealing with space in the raw file. I have a raw file that has the first and last name but there exists a space in between them. I want to read them as a fullname but the space delimiter in between is causing the character to spill into the next variable which is city. How would one go about reading the fullname in such a situation? I currently have the following statement :

DATA HW2.PRES1;
INFILE PRES1;
INPUT FULLNAME $18. CITY $15. STATE $15. ASP 2. BOD DATE9. TERM  VOTES   PERCVOTE;
CARDS;
RUN;

---

I would read the name as components, firstname and lastname, then concatenate if I really need the full name as a single variable.

Fullname = catx(' ', firstname, lastname);

If you search this forum carefully you will find the reverse question of "I have a full name and need the first and last (and middle) as separate" moderately often.