prxmatch syntax

[cmoore]

Hi,

I have run the code (please see below)

data have;
input = "CRH PLC TO BID FOR PPC LTD";
run;

data want;

set have;

temp=input;
p=prxmatch('/\b(TO BID)\b/i',temp);

do while(p);
temp=substr(temp,p);
temp=substr(temp,findc(temp,' ')+1);
Buy=catx(' ',scan(temp,1,' '),scan(temp,2,' '),scan(temp,3,' '),scan(temp,4,' '));

p=prxmatch('/\b(TO BID)\b/i',temp);
end;

drop temp p;
run;

which uses an anchor word "TO BID" and brings back exactly the data I require after the anchor which is "BID FOR PPC LTD"

Do you happen to know how I can reverse this and take words before the anchor word "TO BID" ? I am wanting to obtain the text "CRH PLC TO BID"

Thanks

Chris

[RW9 · Accepted solution]

Or simply:

data have;
  input="CRH PLC TO BID FOR PPC LTD";
  after=substr(input,index(input,"TO BID")+6);
  before=substr(input,1,index(input,"TO BID")+5);
run;

[ChrisNZ]

How far back do you want to go?

This may help:

data WANT;
  STR  = "CRH PLC TO BID FOR PPC LTD";
  WANT = prxchange('s/(.*)\bTO BID\b.*/$1/i',1,STR);
  put WANT=;
run;

WANT=CRH PLC

Also look at the prxsubstr() function.

[cmoore]

Thanks for your reply. So if I wanted to go back and retrieve "

"CRH PLC TO BID"

 and also

"BID FOR PPC LTD"

how would I tweak the code? It's a function that I have never used before. I'll need to do some reading up around the subject.

Many thanks

Chris

[ChrisNZ]

What is wrong with @RW9's solution? You never stated what the extraction criteria are.

If you have never used regular expressions, the learning curve can be steep.