options mprint symbolgen; %macro loop;

data data1; samples=1; actuals=1; somevar=1; anyvar=1; income=1; taxes=1; run;

proc contents noprint data=data1 out=content(keep=name); run;

proc sql noprint; select name into :list seperated by ' ' from content;

%put &list; Toni,

Here is something I developed that is relatively easy to program. Substitute in the values for 'M' counter and 'K' counter based on the number of variables you are renaming. IN the Contents Proc, do a keep on those you want to rename. Important to realize I did this with very distinct 7 - 8 length vars and at 5 they were still distinct. If yours are less, you may want to adjust. Also, a number cannot lead a variable name.

Ed

data _null_; x="&list"; %do k=1 %to 6; call symput("var&k",scan(x,&k,' ')); call symput("varx&k",substr(scan(x,&k,' '),1,5)); %end; run;

data data1; set data1;

%do m=1 %to 6; rename &&var&m=&&varx&m..97; %end; run; proc print ; run; %mend; %loop;

-----Original Message----- From: Toni Zhang [mailto:thesis8@HOTMAIL.COM] Sent: Wednesday, June 28, 2000 5:21 PM To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Subject: new variables in new dataset

Hi folks,

I need to merge two data files what has the same variables. One is for 1997 and other is for 1998. Before I merge them I need to rename all the variables (except id)in one data file, say 1997.

I wonder if there is a shortcut that I can use in steade of using 'rename' for every variable. For instance I want

income=97incom food=97food ...

if there is syntax like array or something that I can use it at once to have this done?

Please advise and thanks a lot, Toni

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