DQPARSE Function

Returns a parsed character value.
Valid in: DATA step, PROC SQL, and SCL
Restriction: Always use the DQPARSETOKENGET function to extract tokens from parsed values. To extract tokens from values that do not contain delimiters, use the DQTOKEN function.
Requirement: If specified, the locale must be loaded into memory as part of the locale list.

Syntax

DQPARSE ('parse-string', 'parse-definition' <,'locale'>)

Required Arguments

parse-string
the value that is parsed according to the specified parse definition. The value must be the name of a character variable, or a character value in quotation marks. Also valid, an expression that evaluates to a variable name or quoted value.
parse-definition
the name of the parse definition. The definition must exist in the locale that is used.

Optional Argument

locale
specifies a character constant, variable, or expression that contains the locale name.
Default:The first locale in the locale list. If no value is specified, the default locale is used.

Details

The DQPARSE function returns a parsed character value. The return value contains delimiters that identify the elements in the value that correspond to the tokens that are enabled by the parse definition. The delimiters in the value allow functions such as DQPARSETOKENGET to access the elements in the value based on specified token names.

Example: DQPARSE Function

The following example parses the name of an individual. Then the DQPARSETOKENGET function returns the values of two of the tokens.
parsedValue=dqParse('Mrs. Sallie Mae Pravlik', 'NAME', 'ENUSA');
prefix=dqParseTokenGet(parsedValue, 'Name Prefix', 'NAME', 'ENUSA');
given=dqParseTokenGet(parsedValue, 'Given Name', 'NAME', 'ENUSA');
After these function calls, the value of PREFIX is Mrs. and the value of GIVEN is Sallie.