Date:         Thu, 11 Apr 2002 14:33:39 -0700
Reply-To:     c-Jeff.Voeller@wcom.com
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Jeff Voeller <c-Jeff.Voeller@WCOM.COM>
Subject:      Re: Matching strings of unequal length
Comments: To: "Carriere, Ron" <rcarriere@MEDNET.UCLA.EDU>
In-Reply-To:  <200204112009.g3BK9EK19654@listserv.cc.uga.edu>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

SQL should do it.  You can perform your join on the full value of the first
file name and the appropriate substring of the second file name.

data work.test1;
  input file $44.;
  cards;
LAPK.RDSUM.OSHPD.WWH
LAPK.DCMMRDRV.CNTLCARD.NPH
LAPK.DCMMRDRV.CNTLCARD.SMH
LAPK.DCMMRDRV.CNTLCARD.WWH
LAPK.RDMSTR.RDTXLRC.SORTIP
run;

data work.test2;
  input file $44.;
  cards;
LAPK.RDSUM.OSHPD.WWH.G0002V00
LAPK.DCMMRDRV.CNTLCARD.NPH.G0008V00
LAPK.DCMMRDRV.CNTLCARD.SMH.SM917E.DATA
LAPK.DCMMRDRV.CNTLCARD.WWH.T1018B.G0001V00
LAPK.RDMSTR.RDTXLRC.SORTIP.G0661V00
run;

proc sql;
  create view work.match as
  select a.file as FIRSTFILE,
         b.file as SECONDFILE
  from work.test1 a,
       work.test2 b
  where a.file=substr(b.file,1,length(trim(a.file)));
quit;

-----Original Message-----
From: SAS(r) Discussion [mailto:SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU]On Behalf Of
Carriere, Ron
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2002 1:09 PM
To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: Matching strings of unequal length


Charles writes:

"BY your example given, how would you handle record #3 in 2nd file with the
record #3 in 1st file?

This seems to be the real question before an answer can be supplied."

Answer: Yup, that would be a match.  I need to match up to the full length
of the string in the first table.

Re Jeff's suggestion to match the first four nodes: Unfortunately the full
lookup table (file one) is not it is not as regular as the example.   It
can have 2-6 nodes.  And the data in the second file can have any number of
extraneous characters after the matching string.  A match is a file that
matches the string in the first file up to the first blank.




Ron Carriere
UCLA Medical Center