kviel@EMORY.EDU replied: > > Actually I need some help with the macro to do that rename. I did a > > proc contents, saved the file, opened it in UE, used column editing to > > remove everything but the list of items, pasted them into Excel, and > > built the rest of my rename statement around it. I intended to do the > > same to make a label statement. > >Well, you don't actually need a macro to do it. I meant the facility. > > >/* UNTESTED */ >data _null_ ; > > length ren lab $ 5000 ; > > do _n_ = 1 by 1 until ( end ) ; > set sashelp.vcolumns ( where = ( libname = "" and memname = "" )) end >= end ; > > ren = compbl( ren ) || compress( name ) || " = x" || put( _n_ , z3. ) >; > lab = compbl( lab ) || " x" || put( _n_ , z3. ) || ' = "' || compress( >name ) || '"' ; > end ; > call symput( "rename" , ren ) ; > call symput( "label" , lab ) ; > stop ; >run ; > >data two ; > set one ( rename = ( &rename. )) ; > label &label. ; >run ; > >Note that this renames *every* variable in your dataset. You can make and >exclusion list using the DATASET OPTION above. Second, I am very, very >forgetful of the SASHELP files. You should verify them yourself. > >You could also have used the SQL procedure, but I just put down that code >because I am not confident about how I would get the equilavent to _n_.

Or, much simpler, just use SAS list naming conventions, If you have 541 variables starting with WALLABY and ending with KINETIC , in that order in the PDV (as shown if you look using PROC CONTENTS) then you can access them all just by saying

wallaby--kinetic

Note the two dashes between the variables. So maybe there's no need for a large renaming process that will make the interpretation that much harder.

HTH, David -- David L. Cassell mathematical statistician Design Pathways 3115 NW Norwood Pl. Corvallis OR 97330

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