If you are reading it directly from a file (or a piped output of another operating system command) then you can take advantage or the DLMSTR= option on the INFILE statement. data have; infile cards dlmstr='----'; input username :$80.; if _infile_=:'----' then group=username; else output; retain group; cards; ----sas-eg-cca-full---- wlo knak votte khu sdza pdeb bmc chnel jell mghe alleb ----sas-eg-hcs-chaps-full---- cmat obri ----sas-eg-dca-phe-read---- hswe ----sas-eg-fnihbabr-ship-read---- iagm grwn ; ... View more