Need to seperate the comma delimited full name to last name and first name.
The word in front of the comma as the Last Name column and the word after the comma as First Name . I have tried with attached code and getting the errors like :-
NOTE: Invalid second argument to function SUBSTR at line 6059 column 12.
NAME=UNKNOWN LAST_NAME= FIRST_NAME=UNKNOWN _ERROR_=1 _N_=35
data namepart; set TEST; length LAST_NAME FIRST_NAME $45; LAST_NAME= substr(name,index(name,',') - 1); FIRST_NAME = trim(left(substr(name,index(name,',') + 1))); run;
Check your code with light modification:
data namepart;
set TEST;
length LAST_NAME FIRST_NAME $45;
pos = index(name, ',');
if pos > 0 then do;
LAST_NAME= substr(name,1, pos - 1);
FIRST_NAME = trim(left(substr(name,pos + 1)));
end; else put '>>> No comma in name, line=' _N_;
run;
By the way, you can do:
strip(substr(name,index(name,',') + 1)))
instead using left(trim(...
You can also do:
last_name = scan(name,1 ',');
first_name = scan(name,2,',');
Add a starting position to the line where you are trying to create lastname. i.e.,
LAST_NAME= substr(name,1,index(name,',') - 1);
However, it sounds like you might have some names that are missing commas.
HTH,
Art, CEO, AnalystFinder.com
In theory, this should be easy:
last_name = scan(name, 1, ',');
first_name = scan(name, 2, ',');
In practice, a little more care needs to be taken. There may be no commas, for example. (That may be why you ran into trouble with the INDEX function returning a zero.) And if there is a blank after the comma, you may need to use:
first_name = left(scan(name, 2, ','));
And what should happen if there are actually two commas, such as a last name that contains ", Jr."
Check your code with light modification:
data namepart;
set TEST;
length LAST_NAME FIRST_NAME $45;
pos = index(name, ',');
if pos > 0 then do;
LAST_NAME= substr(name,1, pos - 1);
FIRST_NAME = trim(left(substr(name,pos + 1)));
end; else put '>>> No comma in name, line=' _N_;
run;
By the way, you can do:
strip(substr(name,index(name,',') + 1)))
instead using left(trim(...
You can also do:
last_name = scan(name,1 ',');
first_name = scan(name,2,',');
Are you ready for the spotlight? We're accepting content ideas for SAS Innovate 2025 to be held May 6-9 in Orlando, FL. The call is open until September 25. Read more here about why you should contribute and what is in it for you!
Learn how use the CAT functions in SAS to join values from multiple variables into a single value.
Find more tutorials on the SAS Users YouTube channel.