Reading Variable-Length Fields (6)

Reading Variable-Length Records

Reading Variable-Length Fields

Reading Character Variables with Varying Lengths

When the DATA step has completely executed, you can use PROC PRINT to display the data set. Notice that the variable reclen is not shown.

     proc print data=perm.phones; 
     run;

Obs	ID	namelen	Name	PhoneExt
1	1802	7	JOHNSON	2123
2	1803	6	BARKER	2142
3	1804	9	EDMUNDSON	2325
4	1805	6	RIVERS	2543
5	1806	5	MASON	2646
6	1807	7	JACKSON	2049
7	1808	4	LEVY	2856
8	1809	6	THOMAS	2222
9	1810	6	WARREN	2003
10	1811	11	VANDENBERGH	2110

A variable defined by the LENGTH= option is not stored as part of the observation. So when you display the data set by using PROC PRINT, values for reclen are not shown. Instead, the minimum and maximum values of reclen are noted in the SAS log.

SAS Log

  NOTE: 14 records were read from the infile PHONEDAT.
        The minimum record length was 12.
        The maximum record length was 19.
  NOTE: The data set PERM.PHONES has 14 observations
        and 4 variables.

If you do not want to print the variable namelen, you can use the DROP= option in the PRINT statement.

     proc print data=perm.phones (drop=namelen); 
     run;

Obs	ID	Name	PhoneExt
1	1802	JOHNSON	2123
2	1803	BARKER	2142
3	1804	EDMUNDSON	2325
4	1805	RIVERS	2543
5	1806	MASON	2646
6	1807	JACKSON	2049
7	1808	LEVY	2856
8	1809	THOMAS	2222
9	1810	WARREN	2003
10	1811	VANDENBERGH	2110