Date:         Mon, 26 Jul 2004 23:10:31 -0400
Reply-To:     Howard Schreier <Howard_Schreier@ITA.DOC.GOV>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Howard Schreier <Howard_Schreier@ITA.DOC.GOV>
Subject:      Re: Position in a String

I think you want to use the VERIFY function. If the stored length of your
variable is 4, it is simply

   if verify(badnum,'0123456789');

If BADNUM is longer, you have to allow for the padding which is stored. Try

   if verify(substr(badnum,1,4),'0123456789') or length(badnum)>4;

In my earlier post I meant of course to type

   if compress(badnum) = '23';

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 19:53:46 -0700, x x <sas_user2000@YAHOO.COM> wrote:

>> Are you trying to identify all records which violate
>> your validation rule (4 digits), using the single 9
>> simply as an example, or are you trying to
>> differentiate cases among bad values (eg, single 9
>> versus two 9's, or single 8)?
>> If you are trying to standardize by eliminating
>> insignificant blanks, and if some of the values to
>> be processed contain two or three digits and
>> possibly embedded blanks, use the COMPRESS function.
>> For example
>> if compress badnum = '23';
>> will dredge not only '23' but '2 3' and ' 23'.
>
>That is precisely what i want to do. As you say, not
>only I need to scan for values that violate the 4
>digit rule and as in your example above but I also
>need to identify any posible violation of that rule.
>The purpose is to  identify and locate the errots adn
>if possible clean up and/or massage the data to be
>used.
>I dont need to identify blanks.
>
>thank you
>
>Hernan
>
>> >4 digit number entered as a character.
>> >Due to data entry error the field may have 1, 2, or
>> 3
>> >digits and in any position. ie "9   " or " 9  " or
>> "
>> >9 " or "   9".
>> >I do have a list of those numbers and i need to
>> know
>> >what record they belong to but not knowing in what
>> >position the number or numbers may be I was
>> wondering
>> >if there is a simpeler method that can look for the
>> >number or numbers any of the 4 positions in the
>> field?
>> >
>> >I have been using the following for each position
>> >which is time consuming. Is there an easier way?
>> >
>> >
>> >data temp;
>> >set numberslist;
>> >if badnum ="9   " or badnum = " 9  " or badnum="  9
>> "
>> >or badnum= "   9";
>> >run;
>> >
>> >
>> >Cheers
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >__________________________________
>> >Do you Yahoo!?
>> >New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage!
>> >http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail
>>
>
>
>
>
>__________________________________
>Do you Yahoo!?
>Yahoo! Mail - 50x more storage than other providers!
>http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail