Date:         Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:40:53 -0500
Reply-To:     "data _null_," <datanull@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         "data _null_," <datanull@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: How to change the format of a variable
Comments: To: Rune Runnestø <rune@fastlane.no>
In-Reply-To:  <wLadnRuT2cnQMNPV4p2dnAA@telenor.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Use a FORMAT that preserves LEADING spaces.  $CHAR or $VARYING.

On 6/10/08, Rune Runnestø <rune@fastlane.no> wrote:
> /*
> Thanks to Nat for the help. It works nice with the z5. format.
> But now I have encountered another thing which have to be taken
> care of; that is the output file from the dataset TEST02.
> In the dataset, some of the lines have indentations with spaces, and I want
> those to be kept as indentations also on the file. How do I handle that?
> How do I take care of eventually blank spaces in the beginning of each line?
>
> Rune
> */
>
> data test02;
>   set test01;
>   length
>      saksnr         $10.
>      year           $4.
>      seqnr          $5.
>      nytt_saksnr    $10.
>   ;
>   if substr(line, 1, 8) eq 'SAKSNR.:' then do;
>      saksnr         = scan(line,   2, ' ');
>      year           = scan(saksnr, 1, '/');
>      seqnr          = scan(saksnr, 2, '/');
>      * the format z5. writes a number with length 5 and leading zeros;
>      new_saksnr    = trim(year) || '/' || trim(put(input(seqnr,5.),z5.));
>      line           = compress('SAKSNR.:#####' || new_saksnr);
>      line           = translate(line, ' ', '#');
>   end;
>   keep line;
>   file sd_ny pad;
>   put line;
> run;
>
> /*
> This is the output file. How do I keep the indentation with
> blank spaces which are in the dataset?
>
> ------------------------
> SAKSNR.:     1994/00003
> ARKIV:        046.5
> TITTEL:       something
> SAKSDATO:     06.01.1994
> DOKNR:          1
> DOKTYPE:        I
> DOK.TITTEL
> AVSKR.DOK       2
> ------------------------
> SAKSNR.:     1994/00002
> ARKIV:        046.5
> TITTEL:       something
> SAKSDATO:     06.01.1994
> DOKNR:          1
> DOKTYPE:        I
> DOK.TITTEL
> AVSKR.DOK       2
> ------------------------
> */
>