The TRANSPOSE Procedure

ID Statement

Specifies one or more variables in the input data set whose formatted values name the transposed variables in the output data set. When a variable name is being formed in the transposed (output) data set, the formatted values of all listed ID variables will be concatenated in the same order that the variables are listed on the ID statement. The PREFIX=, DELIMITER=, and SUFFIX= options can be used to modify the formed variable name. The PREFIX= option specifies a common character or character string to appear at the beginning of the formed variable names. The DELIMITER= option specifies a common character or character string to be inserted between the values of the ID variables. The SUFFIX= option specifies a common character or character string to be appended to the end of each formed variable name.

Restriction:	You cannot use PROC TRANSPOSE with an ID statement or a BY statement with an engine that supports concurrent access if another user is updating the data set at the same time.
Tip:	If the value of any ID variable is missing, then PROC TRANSPOSE writes a warning message to the log. The procedure does not transpose observations that have a missing value for any ID variable.
Featured in:	Naming Transposed Variables

ID variable(s);

Required Argument

variable(s): names one or more variables whose formatted values are used to form the names of the transposed variables.

Duplicate ID Values

Typically, each formatted ID value occurs only once in the input data set or, if you use a BY statement, only once within a BY group. Duplicate values cause PROC TRANSPOSE to issue a warning message and stop. However, if you use the LET option in the PROC TRANSPOSE statement, then the procedure issues a warning message about duplicate ID values. It transposes the observation that contains the last occurrence of the duplicate ID value.

When multiple ID variables are specified: (or if a BY statement is used within a BY group) the combination of formatted ID variable values should be unique within the data set. If the combination is not unique, then PROC TRANSPOSE will issue a warning message and stop processing unless the LET option has been specified.

Making Variable Names out of Numeric Values

When you use a numeric variable as an ID variable, PROC TRANSPOSE changes the formatted ID value into a valid SAS name.

SAS variable names cannot begin with a number. When the first character of the formatted value is numeric, the procedure prefixes an underscore to the value, this action truncates the last character of a 32-character value. Remaining invalid characters are replaced by underscores. The procedure truncates to 32 characters any ID value that is longer than 32 characters when the procedure uses that value to name a transposed variable.

If the formatted value looks like a numeric constant, then PROC TRANSPOSE changes the characters +, -, and . to P, N, and D, respectively. If the formatted value has characters that are not numeric, then PROC TRANSPOSE changes the characters +, -, and . to underscores.

Note: If the value of the VALIDVARNAME system option is V6, then PROC TRANSPOSE truncates transposed variable names to 8 characters. [cautionend]

Missing Values

If you use an ID variable that contains a missing value, then PROC TRANSPOSE writes a warning message to the log. The procedure does not transpose observations that have a missing value for one or more ID variables.

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