Using List Input (3)

Reading Free-Format Data

Using List Input

Working With Delimiters

Most free-format data fields are clearly separated by blanks and are easy to imagine as variables and observations. But fields can also be separated by nonblank delimiters, such as commas, as shown below.

Raw Data File Credit

1---+----10---+----20

MALE,27,1,8,0,0

FEMALE,29,3,14,5,10

FEMALE,34,2,10,3,3

MALE,35,2,12,4,8

FEMALE,36,4,16,3,7

MALE,21,1,5,0,0

MALE,25,2,9,2,1

FEMALE,21,1,4,2,6

MALE,38,3,11,4,3

FEMALE,30,3,5,1,0

When characters other than blanks are used to separate the data values, you can specify the field delimiter by using the DLM= option in the INFILE statement to specify one or more characters (up to 200) to be read as delimiters. The list of characters must be enclosed in quotation marks.

The following program creates the output shown below.

     data perm.survey;
        infile credit dlm=',';
        input Gender $ Age Bankcard FreqBank 
              Deptcard FreqDept;
     run;
     proc print data=perm.survey;
     run;

Obs Gender Age Bankcard FreqBank Deptcard FreqDept

1 MALE 27 1 8 0
0

2 FEMALE 29 3 14 5
10

3 FEMALE 34 2 10 3
3

4 MALE 35 2 12 4
8

5 FEMALE 36 4 16 3
7

6 MALE 21 1 5 0
0

7
MALE
25

2

9

2

1

8
FEMALE
21

1

4

2

6

9
MALE
38

3

11

4

3

10 FEMALE 30 3 5 1
0

Obs	Gender	Age	Bankcard	FreqBank	Deptcard	FreqDept
1	MALE	27	1	8	0	0
2	FEMALE	29	3	14	5	10
3	FEMALE	34	2	10	3	3
4	MALE	35	2	12	4	8
5	FEMALE	36	4	16	3	7
6	MALE	21	1	5	0	0
7	MALE	25	2	9	2	1
8	FEMALE	21	1	4	2	6
9	MALE	38	3	11	4	3
10	FEMALE	30	3	5	1	0

It's important to note that the field delimiter must not be a character that occurs in a data value. For example, this raw data file contains values for LastName and Salary. Notice that the values for Salary contain commas.

1---+----10---+----20

BROWN 24,456.09

JOHNSON 25,467.17

McABE 21,766.36

If the field delimiter is also a comma, the fields are identified incorrectly, as shown below.

1---+----10---+----20

BROWN,24,456.09

JOHNSON,25,467.17

McABE,21,766.36

SAS Data Set

Obs	LastName	Salary
1	BROWN	24
2	JOHNSON	25
3	McABE	21