Date:         Wed, 27 Oct 2004 09:18:57 -0400
Reply-To:     "Richard A. DeVenezia" <radevenz@IX.NETCOM.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         "Richard A. DeVenezia" <radevenz@IX.NETCOM.COM>
Subject:      Re: Leading spaces in named output

Jim Groeneveld wrote:
> Hi friends,
>
> I just came across something I never yet realized. It is a
> characteristic of (formatted) named output. According to the SAS 8.2
> online docs: "Formatting named output
> [.........]
> To align a formatted value, SAS deletes leading blanks and writes the
> variable value immediately after the equal sign.
> [.........]"
>
> Consider the following example:
>
> DATA _NULL_;
>   Text = '   This text has 3 leading and 3 trailing spaces.   ';
>   LenText = LENGTH(Text);
>   PUT LenText=;
>   PUT Text=;
>   PUT Text= $CHAR.;
>   PUT 'Text=' Text;
>   PUT 'Text=' Text $CHAR.;
> RUN;
>
> I would have expected the leading spaces to be printed with named
> output, but apparently (in agreement with the way SAS appears to
> intend it) they are not. I do not understand why with a $CHAR. format.
>
> Just for the record.........
>
> Regards - Jim.
>

An easy way to display leading spaces in named output of character variables
is to use the QUOTE. format.

put Text= $QUOTE.;


--
Richard A. DeVenezia
http://www.devenezia.com/