Date:         Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:17:58 -0400
Reply-To:     Paul Walker <walker.627@OSU.EDU>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Paul Walker <walker.627@OSU.EDU>
Subject:      Best way to dedupe a character string

What is the best way to dedupe a character string stored in a datastep
variable?  Here is how I would like to call it, using the imaginary
function %Dedupe:

data Work.NeedToDedupe;
  length Letters $ 100;
  Letters = 'A B C C C D E E'; Output;
  Letters = 'A A A A A B B B'; Output;
run;

data Work.Deduped;
  set Work.NeedToDedupe;
  LettersNoDup = %Dedupe(Letters);
  put Letters= LettersNoDup=;
run;

Letters=A B C C C D E E LettersNoDup= A B C D E
Letters=A A A A A B B B LettersNoDup= A B

Does anyone have such a macro or is there a SAS function that does this?

TIA,
- Paul