Date:         Thu, 3 Oct 1996 06:28:56 GMT
Reply-To:     Inus van Sandwyk <gnfmcmvs@FRM.UOVS.AC.ZA>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU>
From:         Inus van Sandwyk <gnfmcmvs@FRM.UOVS.AC.ZA>
Organization: University Free State
Subject:      Re: Convert many CHAR variables to NUM easily?

/*-----------------------------------------------------------------*/
/* Here is my solution of converting character variables to numeric
   variables, while preserving the variables labels.
   proc contents is used to show the state of the dataset before
   and after the transpose procedures */
 
data  test;
  c1 = '1';
  c2 = '2';
  c3 = '3';
  c4 = '4';
  label  c1 = 'Variable 1'
         c2 = 'Variable 2'
         c3 = 'Variable 3'
         c4 = 'Variable 4';
 
proc  contents;
 
proc  transpose  out = trans;
  var  c1 - c4;
 
data  trans;
  set  trans;
  numeric = input(col1,8.);
 
proc  transpose  out = orig (drop = _name_);
  var  numeric;
 
proc  contents;
run;
 
/*------------------------------------------------*/
/* Output (Unnecessary lines deleted)
CONTENTS PROCEDURE
.
.
#    Variable    Type    Len    Pos    Label
-------------------------------------------------
1    C1          Char      1      0    Variable 1
2    C2          Char      1      1    Variable 2
3    C3          Char      1      2    Variable 3
4    C4          Char      1      3    Variable 4
*/
 
/*
CONTENTS PROCEDURE
.
.
#    Variable    Type    Len    Pos    Label
-------------------------------------------------
1    C1          Num       8      0    Variable 1
2    C2          Num       8      8    Variable 2
3    C3          Num       8     16    Variable 3
4    C4          Num       8     24    Variable 4 */
 
/* Inus van Sandwyk, 1996 ------------------------*/