Modifying List Input (5)

Reading Free-Format Data

Modifying List Input

Comparing Formatted Input and Modified List Input

As you have seen, informats work differently in modified list input than they do in formatted input. With formatted input, the informat determines both the length of character variables and the number of columns to be read. The same number of columns are read from each record.

     input @4 City $12.;

123456789--12

1---+----10---+----20---+--
1 NEW YORK 7,262,700
2 LOS ANGELES 3,259,340
3 CHICAGO 3,009,530
4 HOUSTON 1,728,910
5 PHILADELPHIA 1,642,900

123456789--12

1---+----10---+----20---+--
1 NEW YORK 7,262,700
2 LOS ANGELES 3,259,340
3 CHICAGO 3,009,530
4 HOUSTON 1,728,910
5 PHILADELPHIA 1,642,900

The informat in modified list input determines only the length of the variable, not the number of columns to be read. Here, the raw data values are read until two consecutive blanks are encountered.

     input City & $12.;

12345678

1---+----10---+----20---+--
1 NEW YORK 7,262,700
2 LOS ANGELES 3,259,340
3 CHICAGO 3,009,530
4 HOUSTON 1,728,910
5 PHILADELPHIA 1,642,900

123456789--12

1---+----10---+----20---+--
1 NEW YORK 7,262,700
2 LOS ANGELES 3,259,340
3 CHICAGO 3,009,530
4 HOUSTON 1,728,910
5 PHILADELPHIA 1,642,900