SAS User Asks: Problem in transforming a database

[SAS_Cares]

From the SAS Users LinkedIn Group, SAS User Daniele asks:

Hi!

I would like to transform a database with 10 numeric variables, where each observation is determined by the modalities of three binary variables in a database with 80 variables (2 * 2 * 2 * 10), where each observation is no longer repeated 8 times but only 1.

I provide an example to be clear: one row contains the number of men (variable binary number 1) minor (variable binary number 2) in jail (var binary number 3) assigned to the prison p (principal variable, therefore repeated 8 times), I would in new database one row containing the data for the prison p, where the number of minor men in jail will be a specific variable of the 80 newly created.

I think I have to use arrays or a set of proc transpose, but I have some problem to imagine how I can practically do.

I hope someone can give me some suggestions!

Thank you!

Original post: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4000846/4000846-6227792732740427779 

[ballardw]

It isn't helpful to post a link that requires a login / account. Not everyone has an  account on linkedin and some work locations block social media websites.

Example data of input and desired output go a long way especially if provided in the form of a data step. And if the data is not SAS then this isn't the best place to ask such questions.

[ChrisHemedinger]

Had to read through a couple of times before I understood that the "binary number" is just a value to carry over and it's not a math problem; now I think it's just a simple "narrow to wide" transpose problem, probably achievable with PROC TRANSPOSE or a DATA step on sorted data with FIRST and LAST processing and/or arrays.  Here's a thread with a similar problem/solution.

(Note to @ballardw: I think @SAS_Cares is trying to source an answer here to help this user and others in the future.  I think we can agree there are more experts hanging out here than on the LinkedIn group.)

[Astounding]

Nothing can stimulate mental activity like a four-dimensional array.

You'll need to provide more information about the variable names (both those you have now, and those you would like to end up with).

[mkeintz]

OK, I'll bite.  Lets assume you have 14 variables:
     P  (for prison)

     binary1 (0 for male, 1 for female)

     binary2 (0 for minor, 1 for adult)

     binary3 (0 for in jail, 1 for free)
     var1-var10  the original variables

Assume you want vars named like   men_minor_jail_1 ... men_minor_jail_10, etc.

If your data are sorted by P, then this structure would work:

data want (drop=var1-var10 v);
   array x{0:1,0:1,0:1,10}
     men_minor_jail_1 - men_minor_jail_10
     men_minor_free_1 - men_minor_free_10
     men_adult_jail_1 - men_adult_jail_10
     men_adult_free_1 - men_adult_free_10

     women_minor_jail_1 - women_minor_jail_10
     women_minor_free_1 - women_minor_free_10
     women_adult_jail_1 - women_adult_jail_10
     women_adult_free_1 - women_adult_free_10;

   array vars {10} var1-var10;

   do until (last.p);
     set have;
     by p;
     do v=1 to 10;
       x{binary1,binary2,binary3,v}=vars{v};
     end;
   end;
run;

xx