I believe there are "import" options where SAS will scan the incoming standard "datetime" variables for a date and assign a SAS DATE formatted variable, rather than a datetime variable. Check the SAS DOC for handling datetime columns, options USEDATE= and SCANTIME=. Scott Barry SBBWorks, Inc. ... View more

Review the SAS DOC and Data Step Language Elements, focusing on the SAS functions for some ideas to use with generating random numer values and look to convert the value to a character string. Scott Barry SBBWorks, Inc. ... View more

The OP stated clearly that the string to be manipulated represented a "word" -- so possibly TRANWRD may apply. Scott Barry SBBWorks, Inc. ... View more

Clearly there is some SAS code executed ahead of your PROC FORMAT, which is likely contributing to this condition. Share more info about this code and also info about your SAS environment (OS, version and SP level -- from SASLOG). And any info about what conditions the problem occurs would also be useful. And it may help by coding a SAS RUN; statement ahead of a PROC execution so that SAS compiles the code up to that point before it interprets the next PROC / DATA step. Scott Barry SBBWorks, Inc. ... View more

Suggest you reply to your post with SAS log output showing code and resulting values of concern. Also, for your own investigation, a SAS CONTENTS listing may reveal differences in your two files - when SAS files are concatenated / merged, there are specific rules about how like-named SAS variables are treated when it comes to LENGTH, FORMAT, INFORMAT attributes. Scott Barry SBBWorks, Inc. ... View more

I do not believe you need to split up your file into smaller files, per each animal. Review the SAS Procedures documentation and using the BY statement to generate individual descriptive statistics for each of your BY variables. Scott Barry SBBWorks, Inc. ... View more

As suggested, you will want to explore using the DATA step to read up your data, followed by PROC MEANS/SUMMARY, then a DATA step MERGE to re-introduce your MIN and MAX values. And, finally using PROC PRINT to display your data results. The SAS support website http://support.sas.com/ hosts DOC and supplemental technical papers on these and other topics. Also, the link below will connect you with the SAS-hosted product documentation for the DATA step techniques and SAS procedures. http://support.sas.com/documentation/onlinedoc/base/ Scott Barry SBBWorks, Inc. ... View more

You will need to use a combination of INPUT with column location pointer to read up each of your data records, first reading the leading columns followed by your columnar-oriented data columns. Then if you decide it is appropriate, only OUTPUT under the appropriate conditions, as you decide while doing your INPUT logic in a DATA step. With this approach/technique, you will likely need to consider using a RETAIN statement for the variables that are blank, as you have described. A sample DATA step is shown below using the SAS DATA step programming techniques mentioned above. Scott Barry SBBWorks, Inc. DATA ; INFILE DATALINES; INPUT @1 VAR1 $CHAR2. @4 VAR2 $CHAR1. @6 VAR3 2. VAR4 2.; IF VAR1 = ' ' THEN VAR1 = LVAR1; IF VAR2 = ' ' THEN VAR2 = LVAR2; PUTLOG '>BEFORE_OUTPUT>' / _ALL_; OUTPUT; LVAR1 = VAR1; LVAR2 = VAR2; RETAIN LVAR1 LVAR2 ' '; DATALINES; AA B 1122 3344 BB C 2233 4455 RUN; ... View more

Suggest you reply to your post with a small sample data set, demonstrating the input and also what you want to see as the outcome from SAS. It is quite possible that one or more PROC MEANS/SUMMARY and some DATA step MERGE executions could get you the combination of info desired. Also you may want to explore PROC SQL and JOIN with your data, as well. I believe that once you reveal some input/output data information then you might even see the possiblities using SAS DATA step and various PROC executions to get your results. Scott Barry SBBWorks, Inc. ... View more

The SET statement SAS Data step DOC provides the answer to your error. Scott Barry SBBWorks, Inc. ... View more

I will offer you some suggestions for SAS coding - surely you are looking for guidance and not just someone to do your work, right? One approach is code up a DATA step to read the two inputs, creating SAS files, then sort the data, and use PROC COMPARE to generate an output with differences, and you should have the desired results, I would say. The SAS product documentation is hosted at the SAS support website http://support.sas.com/ and you will also find many additional technical papers on various SAS programming topics at the site. Scott Barry SBBWorks, Inc. ... View more

Look at using PROC SUMMARY to generate the MIN and MAX in a new file. Then MERGE that file back onto your original file. Then using a DATA step, increment in a DO loop from your new TO variables BY 10, creating another new variable which you will then use to run your descriptive statistics. You may also find the SAS support website http://support.sas.com/ useful with its own SEARCH facility (SAS DOC and technical papers are hosted there), and possibly using the Google advanced search argument below (one one of your own): generate descriptive statistics value ranges site:sas.com Scott Barry SBBWorks, Inc. ... View more

If I understand your challenge correctly, you can use the SUBSTR function on the left side of the SAS assignment statement in a DATA step. And if you are unsure at what position the string starts, you can use the INDEX function to find the starting offset before using the SUBSTR function to change the value from "zzzzzz" to " " (six blank characters). And, you can use an ARRAY statement to setup a DO loop through your list of 200 SAS variables, so that you do not need to repeat the same code for each variable. Scott Barry SBBWorks, Inc. ... View more

SAS PROC FORMAT is one option to generate a list of value ranges associated with some descriptive relationship. Then use PROC SUMMARY/MEANS to summarize the FORMATTED CLASS variable. Scott Barry SBBWorks, Inc. ... View more

The COMPRESS function comes to mind (to squeeze out unwanted characters within your test), given the limited example and conditions you have shown in your post. Scott Barry SBBWorks, Inc. ... View more