Date:         Sat, 23 Jan 1999 20:16:30 GMT0BST
Reply-To:     Panos PAPANIKOLAOU <PapanikolaouP@CARDIFF.AC.UK>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU>
From:         Panos PAPANIKOLAOU <PapanikolaouP@CARDIFF.AC.UK>
Subject:      Re: conver character to numeric format

Dear All,
 
I have a SAS perm data-set which was created after importing an Excel
file. SAS 6.12 v. was capable of reading correctly the Xls file.
However, the Excel file had some variables read as character. When
I looked at the variables and printed several cases I noticed that
these are NOT character but actually NUMERIC.  I have used SAS to
produce the means & std of these variables. It rightly responds
telling me that these variables are CHARACTER. (This is because
they have been initially read as character, an imported Excel file).
 
To me, it would be very complicated indeed to change the variable
format in Excel and the read it in SAS. So, I am wondering if I'd
have SAS read these variables as NUMERIC. That is, do you know
the way that SAS will be able to recognise these variables not as
CHARACTER but as NUMERIC variables.If so, this would allow me to
use the proc means and univariate to derive useful stats info about
them. I would be grateful if I would have any suggestions on what to
do.
 
Thank you very much indeed for taking the time to consider my
request. I look forward to hearing from you.
 
Yours Sincerely
Panos Papanikolaou
Research Fellow
UWCM
Great Britain.