Date:         Fri, 17 Nov 2006 05:00:22 -0800
Reply-To:     salsera.77@HOTMAIL.COM
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         salsera.77@HOTMAIL.COM
Organization: http://groups.google.com
Subject:      Re: Using wildcards in IF statement??
Comments: To: sas-l@uga.edu
In-Reply-To:  <200611161527.kAGFL6u3004698@mailgw.cc.uga.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-15"

Hi again!

I do know the full name, but I want to use the same code for several
separate analysis for variables beginning with SEL.

Howards suggestion of arrays worked for me, THANKS!

Mervi


"Howard Schreier <hs AT dc-sug DOT org>" kirjoitti:

> On Thu, 16 Nov 2006 07:15:45 -0800, Frank Poppe <Frank.Poppe@PWCONS.COM> wrote:
>
> >To me it is not quite clear what the problem is.
> >
> >Do you mean that you know there is a single variable in your table with
> >a NAME starting with 'SEL', but that you do not know what the full name
> >is?
> >In that case it seems best to do some macro coding prior to the data
> >step, to determine the exact name of the variable, putting that in a
> >macro variable, and using that in your data step.
> >
> >Frank Poppe
>
> Or, this "Cheesy, Sleazy SAS Trick", as M. Davis might call it:
>
>    data demo;
>    do SEL_unknown_suffix = 10 to 12; output; end;
>    retain variable2 1;
>    run;
>
>    data _null_;
>    set demo;
>    array SEL_anything (1) SEL : ;
>    IF SEL_anything(1) = 11 and variable2=1;
>    put _all_;
>    run;
>
> Log shows:
>
>    SEL_unknown_suffix=11 variable2=1 _ERROR_=0 _N_=2
>
> As a bonus, dimensioning the array to hold just one variable will cause an
> error condition if in fact there are additional variables starting with "SEL".
>
> >
> >salsera.77@hotmail.com schreef:
> >
> >> I understand that wildcards can only be used for scanning for data
> >> values not variable names in IF statements. Using them in variable name
> >> like suggested results in error:  " Expecting an arithmetic operator."
> >> What am I missing here??
> >>
> >> Mervi
> >>
> >> St?phane COLAS kirjoitti:
> >>
> >> > It works with a Alpha var. because '=:' is like a substr(var,1,?) => A
> BEGIN BY
> >> > statement, if you want.
> >> >
> >> > So add quotes : IF SEL: = '11' and variable2=1;
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > St?phane.
> >> >
> >> > Selon salsera.77@HOTMAIL.COM:
> >> >
> >> > > Dear SAS users,
> >> > >
> >> > > I've been trying to figure out a solution to a following problem:
> >> > >
> >> > > I know my data file contains a variable which begins with characteers
> >> > > SEL and I know that I can uniquely identify that variable ie. no other
> >> > > variables begin with those characters. I would like to extract
> >> > > observations that fill a certaing criterion in that variable and
> >> > > simultaniously another criterion in another variable. My first idea was
> >> > > to try to use colon wildcard
> >> > >
> >> > > IF SEL: = 11 and variable2=1;
> >> > >
> >> > > but this is not possible.
> >> > >
> >> > > Any ideas how I could come around this problem?
> >> > >
> >> > > Thanks,
> >> > >
> >> > > Mervi
> >> > >