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HG
Calcite | Level 5 HG
Calcite | Level 5

Hi,

what is the best way to rename my variables?

data class;

  set sashelp.class;

newage1=age;

newweight1=weight;

newheight1=heigt;

run;

I have a lot of variables end with '1'. I want to take out '1'.

in my example, I need to rename newage1=newage and all other variables.

Thanks!

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions
Linlin
Lapis Lazuli | Level 10

how about:

data class;
  set sashelp.class (obs=1);
  newage1=age;
  neww1=weight;
  newh1=height;
run;

proc sql;
  select catx('=',name,substr(name,1,length(name)-1)) into : list separated by ' '
   from dictionary.columns
     where libname='WORK' and memname='CLASS' and substr(name,length(name))='1';
quit;

data newclass;
   set class;
   rename &list;
run;
proc print;run;

View solution in original post

2 REPLIES 2
Linlin
Lapis Lazuli | Level 10

how about:

data class;
  set sashelp.class (obs=1);
  newage1=age;
  neww1=weight;
  newh1=height;
run;

proc sql;
  select catx('=',name,substr(name,1,length(name)-1)) into : list separated by ' '
   from dictionary.columns
     where libname='WORK' and memname='CLASS' and substr(name,length(name))='1';
quit;

data newclass;
   set class;
   rename &list;
run;
proc print;run;

Patrick
Opal | Level 21

Pretty close to what Linlin suggest but using a RegEx to match more precisely the variables you want renamed - and using Proc Datasets instead of a Data Step to do the renaming (and so avoiding a full pass through the data).

data class;
  set sashelp.class;
  newage1=age;
  newweight1=weight;
  newheight1=height;
run;


proc sql noprint;
  select cats(name,'=',prxchange('s/(.+)(1\b)/$1/o',1,name)) into : list separated by ' '
   from dictionary.columns
     where libname='WORK' and memname='CLASS' and prxmatch('/.+1\b/',name)
  ;
quit;

proc datasets lib=work nolist;
  modify class;
    rename &list;
  ;
quit;

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