Date:         Wed, 22 Sep 2010 21:46:26 -0400
Reply-To:     Bbser 2009 <bbser2009@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Bbser 2009 <bbser2009@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      missover, missing values of character variables

The raw data file collects ID numbers for people and their up to 3
preferred activities.
Here is a portion of this file:

   1051 TENNIS SWIMMING AEROBICS
   1052 JOGGING BASKETBALL
   1053 AEROBICS SWIMMING CYCLING

I was trying to make a SAS data set that looks something like this:

   ID    Preference    Activity

   1051      1          Tennis
   1051      2          Swimming
   1051      3          Aerobics
   1052      1          Jogging
   1052      2          Basketball
   1053    ...          ....


So I submitted this code:

data Sasuser.Group2;
 infile excdata3 missover;
 input ID $ @;
 Preference=0;
 do until (activity=" ");
  input Activity : $10. @;
  if activity ^=" ";
  preference+1;
  output;
 end;
run;
proc print;
run;

Then I ended up getting this data set, which just shows the first letters
for those activities.

ID    Preference    Activity

1051      1          T
1051      2          S
1051      3          A
1052      1          J
1052      2          B
1053    ...          ....

I am totally confused by this, can anyone help me with this? Thanks a lot.

Max