replace a foreign character in a string

[deleted_user]

Hi,

I am trying to replace a foreign character in a string, unfortunatelly most of useful string functions such as "tranwrd" does not work because SAS complains that it is not a valide SAS name. Right now, I created a macro. In the macro I get the length of the string, then use "substr" to get a single letter at a time, then do a cat afterwards.

Does anyone have a better idea please?

Thanks
Qun

[Ksharp]

options validvarname=any;
[pre]


Then you can use invalid sas varname.



Ksharp
[/pre]

[sbb]

Share the actual SAS log with the specific error message revealed -- include all SAS program code revealed. You can do this with a COPY/PASTE into your next forum post-reply.

Also add this statement to generate additional diagnostic message with all variable values displayed to the log:

PUTLOG / _ALL_;

Scott Barry
SBBWorks, Inc. Message was edited by: sbb

[deleted_user]

Many thanks, Ksharp. I should've looked at the options in the first place.

Yan

[data_null__]

It is unclear to me what you mean by foreign character. And if the characters are in variable values of variable names.

For values of variables check out COMPRESS.

[Ksharp]

Hi. _null_
For the foreign character, SAS has some specical function to process this situation.
For example : Kcompress()


Ksharp

[deleted_user]

I am confused as why the following code didn't work as I expected


options validvarname=any;

%macro test();
%global new;
%let old = ppø;
%let new = %sysfunc(tranwrd(&old, 'ø', 'aa'));
%put &new;
%mend;

%test();

%put &new;

The result is

MLOGIC(TEST): Beginning execution.
MLOGIC(TEST): %LET (variable name is NEW)
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable OLD resolves to ppø
MLOGIC(TEST): %PUT &new
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable NEW resolves to ppø
ppø
MLOGIC(TEST): Ending execution.
3832
3833 %put &new;
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable NEW resolves to ppø
ppø


I would thought "new" should be "ppaa".


Many thanks,
Qun

[deleted_user]

Sorry, cut past the wrong code

options validvarname=any;

%let old=ppø;
%let new=&old;

%macro test();
%let new = %sysfunc(tranwrd(&old, 'ø', 'aa'));
%put &new;
%mend;

%test();

%put &new;

[deleted_user]

It's one of those issues with quote. Once I removed the quote around ø, and aa, it works.

I can never be sure when I suppose to ", or ' in data step or in macro.

Qun

[Cynthia_sas]

This is a good introduction to the SAS Macro facility:
http://www2.sas.com/proceedings/sugi28/056-28.pdf

cynthia

[Ksharp]

Hi.
_null_ is right .Macro facility treat anything as text ,even if it is the argument of function.


Ksharp

[data_null__]

Don't use "quotes" 'quotes' in macro language.

1632 %let old=ppø;
1633 %let new=&old;
1634
1635 %let new = %sysfunc(tranwrd(&old, ø, aa));
1636 %put NOTE &new;
NOTE ppaa