Kevin,

Here's another way to get the data isolated- I'm still pondering data _null_'s solution as I don't quite understand how it works. Data _null_, could you provide an example of the _infile_ option you were talking about?

I'm also not sure how to get from here, where I have variables for the dates, to datetime values. Could anyone help with that part?

-Mary

data test;

informat longstring1 $50. longstring2 $50. datetime1a datetime18.;

longstring1="Created at 5/14/2008 10:43 AM˙ byRaterA˙Last";

longstring2="modified at 5/14/2008 11:44 AM˙ byRaterA˙";

shortstring1=substr(longstring1,12,38);

shortstring2=substr(longstring2,13,37);

date1=substr(shortstring1,1,index(shortstring1,' '));

shortstring1a=substr(shortstring1,index(shortstring1,' '),50-index(shortstring1,' '));

date2=substr(shortstring2,1,index(shortstring2,' '));

shortstring2a=substr(shortstring2,index(shortstring2,' '),50-index(shortstring2,' '));

if index(shortstring1a,'AM')> 0 then

time1=substr(shortstring1a,1,index(shortstring1a,'AM')+ 1);

else if index(shortstring1a,'PM')> 0 then

time1=substr(shortstring1a,1,index(shortstring1a,'PM')+ 1);

if index(shortstring2a,'AM')> 0 then

time2=substr(shortstring2a,1,index(shortstring2a,'AM')+ 1);

else if index(shortstring2a,'PM')> 0 then

time2=substr(shortstring2a,1,index(shortstring2a,'PM')+ 1);

run;

----- Original Message ----- From: Kevin F. Spratt To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2008 3:55 PM Subject: Getting Data out of a string and combining it to create a datetime12. variable

I have a variable that is a text field. I include a case below:

*******************************************************************************************

Created at 5/14/2008 10:43 AM˙ byRaterA˙Last modified at 5/14/2008 11:44 AM˙ byRaterA˙

*******************************************************************************************

I would like to convert this field into two datetime fields

one reflecting 5/14/2008 10:43 AM and the other reflecting 5/14/2008 11.43 AM.

Although I don't have much data in the system as yet, I am assuming that the spacing (i.e., how many spaces until the first 5/14/2008 and the 10:43 AM and the spacing to the 2nd 5/14/2008 and the 11:44 AM) will not be consistent.

Thus, my simple minded approach using the substr function will not work.

After isolating these two dates and times, I am also unclear how to combine these date and time values to create a datetime12 variable.

I'm running SAS 9.1.3 in the Windows XP environment and, as always, help from the list is greatly appreciated.

______________________________________________________________________

Kevin F. Spratt, Ph.D. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Dartmouth Medical School One Medical Center Drive DHMC Lebanon, NH USA 03756 (603) 653-6012 (voice) (603) 653-6013 (fax) Kevin.F.Spratt@Dartmouth.Edu (e-mail) _______________________________________________________________________