Date:         Wed, 30 Mar 2011 09:36:51 -0400
Reply-To:     Peter Flom <peterflomconsulting@MINDSPRING.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Peter Flom <peterflomconsulting@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject:      Re: Writing a LOT of IF THEN statements, based on Excel columns
Comments: To: Joe Matise <snoopy369@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To:  <AANLkTimvxMaagxNVv090cLJW35Yk7c3UaYvjZZMtkCQx@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Thanks all!



Now I know what to do!



Peter





From: Joe Matise [mailto:snoopy369@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 30, 2011 9:31 AM
To: Peter Flom
Cc: SAS-L@listserv.uga.edu
Subject: Re: Writing a LOT of IF THEN statements, based on Excel columns



Um, how about writing them as a format? :)

Import the dataset, then modify the columns to be named "Start" (for
family_name) and "Label" (for code).
Then add a column "Fmtname" and call it whatever you want, say, "FAMILYF".
Then add a column 'type' and set it to 'i' (informat - and I forget the
difference between 'numeric informat' (i) and 'character informat' (j) so
this might need to be j).

Then send it to PROC FORMAT:

proc format lib=yourlib cntlin=yourdataset;
quit;

replacing the 'your's with the appropriate values.

Now you can just use:
code = input(family,FAMILYF.);

-Joe

On Wed, Mar 30, 2011 at 8:26 AM, Peter Flom
<peterflomconsulting@mindspring.com> wrote:

Hello



I figure someone has probably come up with a fast way to do this..



My client has given me data sets with a variable called FAMILY_NAME.  In a
separate Excel file, she has these FAMILY_NAMES linked to another (numeric)
variable.  I want to write a bunch of IF THEN ELSE statements  along the
lines of



IF family_name = XXXX then code = 1;

Else if family_name = XXXX then code = 2;



And so on



The problem is there are 849 different levels.  There are also 4 million
records.  So, I need something more efficient than writing these by hand...



Thanks as always



Peter