Modifying SAS Data Set Names and Variable Attributes

Review of SAS Tools

CHANGE old-name=new-name;

renames the SAS data set that you specify with old-name to the name that you specify with new-name. You can rename more than one data set in the same library by using one CHANGE statement. All new names must be valid SAS names.

MODIFY SAS-data-set;

identifies the SAS data set that you want to modify. These are some of the subordinate statements that you can use with the MODIFY statement:

FORMAT variable(s) <format>;: assigns, changes, or removes the format for the variable(s) that you specify with variable(s) by using the format that you specify with format. You can give more than one variable the same format by listing more than one variable before the format. Do not specify format if you want to remove a format.
LABEL variable=<'label'>;: assigns, changes, or removes the label for the variable that you specify with variable. To remove a label, place a blank space inside the quotation marks.
RENAME old-name=new-name;: changes the name of the variable(s) that you specify with old-name to the name that you specify with new-name. You can rename more than one variable in the same data set by using one RENAME statement. All names must be valid SAS names.

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