Date:         Sun, 25 Nov 2007 18:07:17 +0000
Reply-To:     Paul Dorfman <sashole@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Paul Dorfman <sashole@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Organization: PDC
Subject:      Re: ZIPSTATE function, turn off invalid argument NOTE?
Comments: To: "Richard A. DeVenezia" <rdevenezia@WILDBLUE.NET>

Richard,

I would abstain from using the function at all if your purpose is indeed to return the state from the first 3 zip digits, the reason being two-fold:

1. The correspondence between int(zip/100) and state is not unique. For example,
a simple

select  *
from   (select distinct put (int(zip/100), z3.) as zip3, statecode as st
        from   sashelp.zipcode)
group   zip3
having  count(*) > 1

reveals:

zip3 st
-------
063  CT
063  NY
834  ID
834  WY
969  GU
969  MP
969  PW

Hence I have to take issue with your description of what the function does. It accepts the full zip as its argument for a reason - a full zip corresponds to a unique state.

2. The function does not validate zip codes. Hence, if you need accuracy (and I presume you do) you had better use sashelp.zipcode to emulate the function via a format or hash, which would tangentially also eliminate the log notes issue you started with. Ideally, sashelp.zipcode being used should be freshly updated from the data set whose location is referenced in the SAS documentation:

http://support.sas.com/rnd/datavisualization/mapsonline/html/misc.html

Kind regards
------------
Paul Dorfman
Jax, FL
------------

-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Richard A. DeVenezia" <rdevenezia@WILDBLUE.NET>
>
> The ZIPSTATE function evaluates the first three digits of a zip code (the
> zone) and returns the state that corresponds to the zone.
>
> data x;
>   do zip = 0 to 1e5 by 1e2;
>     state = zipstate(zip);
>     if state eq '' then put zip= state=;
>   end;
> run;
>
> When a zipcode is in invalid there is the following in the log:
>     NOTE: Invalid argument to function ZIPSTATE at line # column #.
>
> Is there a way to turn this note off, and leave other notes on ?
>
> Looking for something like the ?? of INPUT(), such as
>     input ('ABC', ?? 3.)
> which prevents _error_ from being assigned.
>
>
>
> --
> Richard A. DeVenezia