At 20:10 14/06/1996 GMT, you wrote: >I need to re-order the variables in a dataset, in order to import them >correctly > into a package that calaculates standard errors across repeated measures. My > experimentation using the KEEP statement and dataset option have been > unsuccessful. I can think of many ways to dump out the variables in little >chunks > and merge the 150 datasets back together in the proper order. It would be easy > to write a macro to handle the mess. > >Does anyone know of an easier way to re-order the variables in a SAS dataset, > using a data step statement, dataset option, etc. ??? > >Thanks in advance for your help..... > >Gordon Keeler, Statitician >gkeeler@psych.mc.duke.edu >Developmental Epidemiology >Dept. of Psychiatry >Duke University Medical Center >

This is one way to get what you want, using macro and proc contents.

%let in_data = YOUR_DATA; %let out_data = NEW_ONE; %let order = VARIABLE NAMES IN THE WANTED ORDER;

%macro vorder; %local i mot; %let i = 1; %let mot = %scan (&order, 1); %do %while (&mot ^=); &mot &&&mot %let i = %eval (&i + 1); %let mot = %scan (&order, &i); %end; %mend vorder;

proc contents data = &in_data noprint out = cont (keep = name type length); run;

data _null_; set cont; if type = 1 then call symput (name, put (length, best.)); else call symput (name, "$" || put (length, best.)); run;

data &out_data; length %vorder; set &in_data; run;

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