Date:         Mon, 23 Jan 2006 17:23:09 -0600
Reply-To:     Jiann-Shiun Huang <Jiann-Shiun.Huang@AMERUS.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Jiann-Shiun Huang <Jiann-Shiun.Huang@AMERUS.COM>
Subject:      Re: scan?
Comments: To: master2005_sas@YAHOO.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

Mindy:

  This is copied from online help:

"SCAN(string ,n<, delimiter(s)>) ...
If n is negative, SCAN selects the word in the character string
starting from the end of the string."

  In your example, n=-1, hence it will return the last character string
after the last delimiter ' '.

J S Huang
1-515-557-3987
fax 1-515-557-2422

>>> Mindy <master2005_sas@YAHOO.COM> 1/23/2006 5:12:36 PM >>>
Here is the code I saw:
 if scan(city, -1,' ')='CA' then city=substr(city, 1, len-2);

I understand what results I would get after run the code. But I want
to
learn more about the "-1"in scan. Any articles or any explanation are
very welcome. Thanks.

Mindy