If you can controll the formatting of the input file then force there to be two spaces between the state name and the date. Then you can use the & modifier on the input statement. Otherwise you will need to add some logic. In this case since state names do not contain digits and your date values always start with a digit it is easy.   data prog; length State $20 EnterDate Size 8; input State $20. @; x=indexc(state,'0123456789'); if x>0 then state=substr(state,1,x-1); else x=length(state)+2; input @x EnterDate date9. size ; format enterdate date9. size comma7.; drop x; datalines; Delaware 07DEC1787 1955 Pennsylvania 12DEC1787 44820 New Jersey 18DEC1787 7418 Georgia 02JAN1788 57918 Connecticut 09JAN1788 4845 Massachusetts 06FEB1788 7838 Maryland 28APR1788 9775 South Carolina 23MAY1788 30111 ; run; ... View more