| Transforming Data with SAS Functions | |
Modifying Character Values with
Functions |
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| SCAN Function
The SCAN function enables you to separate a character value into words and to return a specified word. Let's look at the following example to see how the SCAN function works.
The data set Hrd.Temp stores the names of temporary employees
in the variable |
SAS Data Set Hrd.Temp
| Agency | ID | Name |
| Administrative Support, Inc. | F274 | CICHOCK, ELIZABETH MARIE |
| Administrative Support, Inc. | F101 | BENINCASA, HANNAH LEE |
| OD Consulting, Inc. | F054 | SHERE, BRIAN THOMAS |
However, you would like to separate the value of Name into
three variables, one variable to store the first name, one to store the middle
name, and one to store the last name. You can create these new variables
using the SCAN function. |
SAS Data Set Hrd.Temp
| Agency | ID | LastName | FirstName | MiddleName |
| Administrative Support, Inc. | F274 | CICHOCK | ELIZABETH | MARIE |
| Administrative Support, Inc. | F101 | BENINCASA | HANNAH | LEE |
| OD Consulting, Inc. | F054 | SHERE | BRIAN | THOMAS |
| Specifying Delimiters
The SCAN function uses delimiters, which are characters specified as word separators, to separate a character string into words. For example, if you are working with the character string below and you specify the comma as a delimiter, the SCAN function separates the string into three words.
Then the function returns whichever word you specify. In this example, if you specify the third word, the SCAN function returns the word HIGH. Here's another example. Once again, let's use the comma as a delimiter, and specify that the third word be returned.
209 RADCLIFFE ROAD, CENTER CITY, NY, 92716
In this example, the word returned by the SCAN function is NY.
When using the SCAN function, you can specify as many delimiters as needed to correctly separate the character expression. When you specify multiple delimiters, SAS software uses all of the delimiters as word separators. For example, if you specify the slash and the hyphen as delimiters, the SCAN function separates the following text string into three words:
The SCAN function treats two or more contiguous delimiters, such as the parentheses and slash below, as one delimiter. Also, leading delimiters have no effect.
If you do not specify delimiters when using the SCAN function, default delimiters are used. The default delimiters are
blank . < ( + | & ! $ * ) ; ^ - / , %
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