If it weren't for ?,* i'd say use special missing values on input (input A,B,C,...,X as .A, .B, .C. ... .X ) ... you could convert * and ? to Y and Z I suppose, and still do it that way ...

-Joe

On Fri, Jun 26, 2009 at 11:55 AM, Michael Bryce Herrington < mherrin@g.clemson.edu> wrote:

> Thanks to all. I got one to do what I needed. Thanks for all the > different > techniques as well. > > On Fri, Jun 26, 2009 at 12:17 PM, mata <mvitvit@yahoo.com> wrote: > > > Hey, > > > > Regexp could be another solution: > > > > Mata > > > > data sample; > > input finishpos1 $3. finishpos2 $3. ; > > datalines; > > 1 5 > > 4 2 > > 6 4 > > 3 3 > > 8 A > > 9 5 > > 4 F > > N 9 > > 10 7 > > ; > > > > data final; > > set sample; > > > > array t0(*) $3. finishpos1 finishpos2; > > array tn(*) finishpos1n finishpos2n; > > array tc(*) $3. finishpos1c finishpos2c; > > > > do i=1 to dim(t0); > > if prxmatch('/\d/',t0(i))=0 then tc(i)=t0(i); > > else tn(i)=input(t0(i),2.); > > end; > > drop i; > > run; > > > > proc print data=final; run; > > > > > > On Jun 26, 7:48 am, mher...@G.CLEMSON.EDU (Michael Bryce Herrington) > > wrote: > > > Hey, > > > > > > I have a variable that contains numerical and character values, > 1,2,3,... > > > A,B,C,...,X,?,*. The character values represent lets say > 'circumstancial > > > excuses' and occur far less often than the numerical values. I have > > created > > > a new variable for the character values to save them, and replaced them > > in > > > this variable as missing values. Now I would like to format the > > > original variable into a numeric variable. I am mainly trying to avoid > > the > > > character to numeric note in the log to make sure there are no errors > > being > > > performed in the data. Thanks for your help. > > > > > > I have added a small sample and a sample of the code which I am trying > to > > > perform. > > > > > > * > > > > > > data* sample; > > > > > > input finishpos1 $3. finishpos2 $3. ; > > > > > > datalines; > > > > > > 1 5 > > > > > > 4 2 > > > > > > 6 4 > > > > > > 3 3 > > > > > > 8 A > > > > > > 9 5 > > > > > > 4 F > > > > > > N 9 > > > > > > 10 7 > > > > > > ; > > > * > > > > > > run*; > > > * > > > > > > data* sample; > > > > > > set sample; > > > > > > *new variable to keep the character values; > > > > > > if finishpos1 > > in('A','B','C','D','E','F','G','H','I','J','K','L','M','N','O' > > > ,'P','Q','R','S','T','U','V','W','X','Y','?','*','\') > > > thenfinishposDNF1=finishpos1; > > > > > > else finishposDNF1=''; > > > > > > *replace character values with missing values in original variable; > > > > > > if finishpos1 > > in('A','B','C','D','E','F','G','H','I','J','K','L','M','N','O' > > > ,'P','Q','R','S','T','U','V','W','X','Y','?','*','\') then > > finishpos1=*.*; > > > > > > * attempt to reformat the original variable to numeric; > > > > > > *THIS IS WHERE i NEED HELP; > > > > > > finishpos1=input(finishpos1,*2.*); > > > > > > *repeat for finishpos2, finishpos3, etc... (only two in the sample); > > > > > > if finishpos2 > > in('A','B','C','D','E','F','G','H','I','J','K','L','M','N','O' > > > ,'P','Q','R','S','T','U','V','W','X','Y','?','*','\') > > > thenfinishposDNF2=finishpos2; > > > > > > else finishposDNF2=''; > > > > > > if finishpos2 > > in('A','B','C','D','E','F','G','H','I','J','K','L','M','N','O' > > > ,'P','Q','R','S','T','U','V','W','X','Y','?','*','\') then > > finishpos2=*.*; > > > > > > finishpos2=input(finishpos2,*2.*); > > > * > > > > > > run*; > > > > > > -- > > > Bryce Herrington > > > Clemson University > > > mher...@g.clemson.edu > > > (863) 258-4758 > > > > > > -- > Bryce Herrington > Clemson University > mherrin@g.clemson.edu > (863) 258-4758 >