BigD ,

Yes it should and if you post an example starting data set andwhat you expect the ending data set to look like I bet we can get you from point A to point B with a cleaner solution.

Toby Dunn

"Don't bail. The best gold is at the bottom of barrels of crap." Randy Pausch

"Be prepared. Luck is where preparation meets opportunity." Randy Pausch

> Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2008 15:06:49 -0800 > From: diaphanosoma@GMAIL.COM > Subject: rename a column with a macro variable > To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU > > I'm trying to rename a column in a data set with a macro variable > name. Should be easy, but I can't do it. > Here is the pertinent code: > > /*Load unique causes of death into death_names*/ > > proc sql; > select distinct quote(trim(death_cause)) > into :death_names separated by '+' > from coc.codes ; > > /* loop through for each distinct death name */ > > %do i= 1 %to &sqlobs.; > > DATA NEW&i; SET coc.death; > where coc=&geog and icd10_description= %scan(&death_names.,&i,'+'); > RUN; > > /*works nicely */ > > lots more code...... > > /*I want to make the last data set anemable to merging all the work > data sets together > so I transpose the data and sort */ > > proc transpose data=new4&i out =t&i ; > run; > > proc sort data=t&i ; by _name_; > > /* Next I want to to rename the automatic variable "col1", which > contains the data, to > the variable name stored in the macro. I can't seem to do it. > The names of the variable are something like "cancer of bladder & > urinary tract" or "cancer of colon", these can't be variable names > becuase they are more than one word long. Also note the "&" that > needs to be dealt with. I'm trying to compress the blanks. Ideally I > would like to subsitute the blanks for underscores e.g. > cancer_of_bladder. > > I'm trying: > > data t&i; set t&i (rename =col1 = > %cmpres(%scan(&death_names.,&i,'+'))); > > > /*lots of errors but after playing with it a bit (qstrn, qcmpres, > etc)I can get a variable name of " " " (a quotation mark) > > > How can I get the rename to work here? > > > Thanks, > > B.

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