Date:         Wed, 5 Jan 2005 08:57:38 -0500
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: SAS equivalent of SQL LIKE

SunStormRider wrote:
> In SQL you can do SELECT ... WHERE field1 LIKE "%fred%"
>
> but what is the equivalent in a data step?
>


You probably want to put %fred% inside single quotes.  When inside double
quotes, the macro system will take a crack at the %fred before the SQL or
DATA Step.


If field1 is a column in an input SET, you can use data set option WHERE=

data ...;
  set myData (where=(field1 like '%fred%'));

If field1 is a column of one or more data sets listed in a merge, you can
use the where statement
data ....;
  merge ....;
  by ....;
  where field1 like '%fred%';
run;

If field1 is computed during the DATA Step and is to be in an output data
set, you can again use the where= data set option

data myData (where=(field1 like '%fred%'));
  set...;
  field1 = catx (' ', first, middle, last);
run;

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