Date:         Tue, 18 Aug 2009 09:32:21 -0400
Reply-To:     Paul St Louis <pstloui@DOT.STATE.TX.US>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Paul St Louis <pstloui@DOT.STATE.TX.US>
Subject:      Excel lib from spreadsheet and Z3. Command

I often find a need to import an excel sheet:

LIBNAME GET "path - file.xls"   HEADER=YES;

Then, in my data set, I take a numeric value, convert it to a character
value and prepend leading zeroes and a 'C' character in front:

DATA FIPS_CTY_1511 ( DROP = F5 CNTY_NBR CTY );
  LENGTH CTY $3. COUNTY $4.;
  SET GET.'FIPS County Number$'N
  (RENAME=(FIPCO__FIPS__FOR_Texas_State_Num = FIPS_CTY ));
  CTY    = PUT(INPUT(CNTY_NBR,12.),Z3.);
  COUNTY = CATS('C',CTY);
RUN;

What I don't understand is why there is a need to input the number as 12.
when in reality it is only 3. If I declare the number to be anything less
than 12, then SAS shows missing values.

The code works, I'm just curious why this is.....

 Obs    CTY    COUNTY    CNTY_NM          FIPS_CTY    DIST_NM
 251    251     C251     Yoakum             501       Lubbock
 252    252     C252     Young              503       Wichita Falls
 253    253     C253     Zapata             505       Pharr

I use Proc Format and have a VALUE $CNAME. to convert the county number to
a county name so that C241 becomes Yoakum in my output.