Transforming Data with SAS Functions
Modifying Character Values with Functions

SUBSTR Function The SUBSTR function can be used to extract a portion of a character value replace the contents of a character value. Let's begin with the task of extracting a portion of a value. In the data set Hrd.Newtemp, the names of temporary employees are stored in three name variables, LastName, FirstName, and MiddleName.

SAS Data Set Hrd.Newtemp

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
New Time Temps Agency	F077	HODNOFF	RICHARD	LEE

However, you decide to modify the data set to store only the middle initial instead of the full middle name. To do so, you must extract the first letter of the middle name values and assign these values to the new variable MiddleInitial.

SAS Data Set Work.Newtemp

Agency	ID	LastName	FirstName	MiddleInitial
Administrative Support, Inc.	F274	CICHOCK	ELIZABETH	M
Administrative Support, Inc.	F101	BENINCASA	HANNAH	L
OD Consulting, Inc.	F054	SHERE	BRIAN	T
New Time Temps Agency	F077	HODNOFF	RICHARD	L

The SUBSTR function enables you to extract any number of characters from a character string, starting at a specified position in the string.

General form, SUBSTR function: SUBSTR(argument,position<,n>) where argument specifies the character variable or expression to scan. position is the character position to start from. n specifies the number of characters to extract. If n is omitted, all remaining characters are included in the substring.