Date:         Mon, 6 Dec 2004 22:53:11 -0500
Reply-To:     "Chang Y. Chung" <chang_y_chung@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         "Chang Y. Chung" <chang_y_chung@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Selecting on character string characteristics
Comments: To: Laughing Beggar <laughing_beggar@HOTMAIL.COM>

On Tue, 7 Dec 2004 03:10:50 +0000, Laughing Beggar
<laughing_beggar@HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:

>Hi all,
>Having finally discovered the colon will let me find character variable
>strings that start a certain way (eg (icd10d1 = :'M85.1') finds me all the
>values that start with M85.1) I now have to limit this to character
strings
>that do not contain a forward slash (/). How do I do this ? or where can I
>find some documentation on selecting by character string characteristics ?
>Thanks

Hi, Laughing Beggar,

That is easy. just use index() function -- if not found, then it will
return 0, which is false when evaluated in the logical context, like
below.

Is the Beggar laughing? :-)

Cheers,
Chang

/* test data */
data one;
  v = "M85.1      "; output;
  v = "M85.1/M85.2"; output;
  v = "M85.2      "; output;
run;

/* select only those that start with M85.1 but having no
   slash character */
data two;
  set one;
  where v =: "M85.1"
    and not index(v,"/")
  ;
run;
/* check */
proc print data=two;
run;
/* on lst
Obs      v
 1     M85.1
*/