Date:         Thu, 22 Jun 2000 17:12:36 GMT
Reply-To:     "John M. Wildenthal" <jmwildenthal@MY-DEJA.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         "John M. Wildenthal" <jmwildenthal@MY-DEJA.COM>
Organization: Deja.com - Before you buy.
Subject:      Re: Combining using !! always turns in character results? version
              8 for Windows

In article <961654321.3259@ns0.klm.nl>,
  "F a b r i z i o" <Fabrizio1@usa.net> wrote:
> paula wrote in message ...
> >I know if I have Var1 as a character variable and v2 as a numeric,
and I do
> >
> >v3 = var1 !!v2;
> >
> >I should expect V3 to be of character type, although Var1 may only
carry
> >numbers.
> >
> >Now my case is: I am "declaring" V3 here for the first time; var1
and v2
> are
> >both preexisting numeric field; no trash, no missing whatsoever. I
still
> >have v3 changed into character type. Should I expect V3 to be
numeric at
> >all? what seems to be the rationale here?
>
> As soon as you use a variable for the first time, and perform
> a character-operation on it (like '!!'), the result will be character.
>
> Only if SAS cannot determine what happens with a variable, or
> if it detects only numeric operations, the resulting variable will
> be declared as numeric.
>
> If your intention of "V3=V1!!V2" is to yield a numeric result,
> you should use V3=V1 * 10 + V2 (or something like that).

Only one thing I can think of adding.  Try

v3 = INPUT(v1||v2,best12.);

instead.


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