How to solve length problems? when it showed invalid data in line _ and N=option

[jc3992]

data cars93subtab;
infile '/folders/myfolders/cars93subtab.txt' dlm=',' termstr=CRLF firstobs=2;
input Manufacturer $ Type $ Price MPG_city MPG_highway Horsepower Origin $;

run;
proc print data=cars93subtab;
run;

My output was only two rows and mainly missing data.

The log showed that "invalid data for ___ in line ___

and provided "n=option"

Can anybody tell me how to set up the length of variables?

I guess the reason was the setting of length of variables.

Thank you!

[Reeza]

You specify the length ahead of the INPUT statement. The default length is 8. 

data cars93subtab;
infile '/folders/myfolders/cars93subtab.txt' dlm=',' termstr=CRLF firstobs=2;
length manufacturer $30 Type $20;
input Manufacturer $ Type $ Price MPG_city MPG_highway Horsepower Origin $;

 A quick way to cheat to import your data is to use PROC IMPORT and then borrow the code from the log and adjust it. Or at least use it as a reference to determine how to set up your Formats/Informats and Lengths. 

file cars '/folders/myfolders/cars93subtab.txt' termstr=crlf;

proc import out=cars93subtab datafile=cars dbms=csv replace; 
getnames=yes;
guessingrows=max;
run;

[jc3992]

wow, there are many ways to write a code for the same question. 

data cars93subtab;
infile '/folders/myfolders/cars93subtab.txt' termstr=CRLF firstobs=2;
length Manufacturer $10;
input Manufacturer $ Type $ Price MPG_city MPG_highway Horsepower Origin $;
run;

proc print data=cars93subtab;
run;

when I checked the data in a text editor, I found there are many spaces between each variables,

I checked the text book, in this way, list input is not appropriate.

I used the above code to run it again, still did not work.

I shall use your code but I have to review my text book again.

Thank you:)

[Reeza]

Yeah, I just looked at your text file. Your code as DLM=',' but there's no comma's in the file

[Kurt_Bremser]

One of the essential tools for importing text data is an editor that can display hex codes (ie notepad++). Using this, it is easy to see that your text file is tab-delimited, so you should approach it like that:

data cars93subtab;
infile '/folders/myfolders/cars93subtab.txt' dlm='09'x termstr=CRLF firstobs=2;
input Manufacturer :$10. Type :$10. Price MPG_city MPG_highway Horsepower Origin $;
run;

proc print data=cars93subtab;
run;

Adjust lengths as needed.