You can use the following methods to quickly concatenate strings in SAS.
Method 1: Concatenate Strings with Space in Between
new_variable = CAT(var1, var2);
Method 2: Concatenate Strings with No Space in Between
new_variable = CATS(var1, var2);
Method 3: Concatenate Strings with Custom Delimiter
new_variable = CATX("-", var1, var2);
The following examples show how to use each method with the following dataset in SAS:
/*create dataset*/
data my_data1;
input firstName $ lastName $ points;
datalines;
Austin Smith 15
Brad Stevens 31
Chad Miller 22
Dave Michaelson 19
Eric Schmidt 29
Frank Wright 20
Greg Gunner 40
Harold Anderson 35
;
run;
/*view dataset*/
proc print data=my_data1;
Example 1: Concatenate Strings with Space in Between
The following code shows how to create a new column called fullName that concatenates the firstName and lastName columns using a blank space as a delimiter:
/*create new dataset with concatenated strings*/
data my_data2;
set my_data1;
fullName = CAT(firstName, lastName);
run;
/*view new dataset*/
proc print data=my_data2;
Example 2: Concatenate Strings with No Space in Between
The following code shows how to create a new column called fullName that concatenates the firstName and lastName columns using no space as a delimiter:
/*create new dataset with concatenated strings*/
data my_data2;
set my_data1;
fullName = CATS(firstName, lastName);
run;
/*view new dataset*/
proc print data=my_data2;
Example 3: Concatenate Strings with Custom Delimiter
The following code shows how to create a new column called fullName that concatenates the firstName and lastName columns using a dash as a delimiter:
/*create new dataset with concatenated strings*/
data my_data2;
set my_data1;
fullName = CATX("-", firstName, lastName);
run;
/*view new dataset*/
proc print data=my_data2;
Additional Resources
The following tutorials explain how to perform other common tasks in SAS:
How to Normalize Data in SAS
How to Rename Variables in SAS
How to Remove Duplicates in SAS
How to Replace Missing Values with Zero in SAS