Date:         Tue, 23 Nov 1999 11:08:51 +0100
Reply-To:     Jim Groeneveld <J.Groeneveld@ITGROUPS.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Jim Groeneveld <J.Groeneveld@ITGROUPS.COM>
Subject:      Re: writing column names to an external file
Comments: To: "trane0x40@MY-DEJA.COM" <trane0x40@MY-DEJA.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain

I assume you want to output the names of _all_ variables in your dataset.
The tested code below yields all variable names in macro variable VarList,
separated by spaces. While writing to some ascii file you might initially
state:
IF _N_ EQ 1 THEN PUT &VarList;
This causes an initial record with all variable names.

*** TESTED CODE ***;

%MACRO VarList (Data=_LAST_);
  PROC CONTENTS DATA=&Data OUT=Contents (KEEP=Name) NOPRINT;
  DATA Contents (KEEP=Name);
    RETAIN NofNames;
    SET Contents;
    NofNames + 1;
    CALL SYMPUT ('NofNames',TRIM(LEFT(PUT(NofNames,BEST12.))));
  RUN;

  PROC TRANSPOSE DATA=Contents OUT=AllNames (DROP = _NAME_ _LABEL_);
    VAR Name;

  DATA _NULL_;
    SET AllNames;
    %DO i = 1 %TO &NofNames;
      CALL SYMPUT ("Var&i",Col&i);
    %END;
  RUN;

  PROC DATASETS;
    DELETE Contents AllNames;
  RUN;

  %LET VarList = ;
  %DO i = 1 %TO &NofNames;
    %LET VarList = &VarList &&Var&i;
  %END;

%MEND VarList;

* Example;

%GLOBAL VarList;
%VarList (Data=YourData);
%PUT List of variable names: &VarList;

--
Y. Groeneveld, MSc            IMRO TRAMARKO       tel. +31 412 407 070
senior statistician           P.O. Box 1          fax. +31 412 407 080
                              5350 AA BERGHEM     IMRO TRAMARKO: a CRO
J.Groeneveld@ITGroups.com     the Netherlands     in clinical research

"My job is to keep my computer working." - Jim Groeneveld

> -----Original Message-----
> From: trane0x40@MY-DEJA.COM [SMTP:trane0x40@MY-DEJA.COM]
> Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 1999 9:48 AM
> To:   SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject:      Re: writing column names to an external file
>
> Thanks...I guess I really wanted to ask: can you put the name of the
> variable without explicitly including it as a literal? In other words is
> there some way I can reference the variable name, by a keyword?
>
>
> In article <38392155.7DCD@dolphin.upenn.edu>,
>   tvictor@dolphin.upenn.edu wrote:
> > I always do something like:
> >
> > if _n_ = 1 then put 'var_1' '09'x 'var_2' '09'x etc...
> >
> > where var_n is a variable name and '09'x is a tab delimiter.
> >
> > trane0x40@my-deja.com wrote:
> > >
> > > Hi,
> > >
> > > How can I output a SAS dataset to an external text file, with the
> column
> > > names appearing as the first row of the text file?
> > >
> > > Thanks
> > >
> > > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> > > Before you buy.
> >
> > --
> > Tim Victor
> > tvictor@dolphin.upenn.edu
> > Policy Research, Evaluation and Measurement
> > Graduate School of Education
> > University of Pennsylvania
> >
>
>
> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Before you buy.