Data Step Tip: Input @ ‘TEXT’

Using INPUT @ ' text' positions the input pointer directly after the word 'text'.

DATA NAMES;

LENGTH NAME CITY $10 ;

INPUT @1 NAME @ 'CITY=' CITY  AGE ;

DATALINES;

ABC CITY=BGLR 25

DEFGH CITY=HYD 30

IJKLMNO CITY=BGLR 28

PQRS CITY=HYD 26

;

RUN;

PROC PRINT DATA=NAMES;

RUN;;

output

Obs    NAME     CITY    AGE

1     ABC             BGLR     25

2     DEFGH        HYD       30

3     IJKLMNO    BGLR     28

4     PQRS            HYD      26

If the text is not found, the pointer will go to a new line

DATA NAMES;

LENGTH NAME CITY $10 ;

INPUT @1 NAME @ 'CITY=' CITY  AGE ;

DATALINES;

ABC CITY=BGLR 25

DEFGH CITY=HYD 30

IJKLMNO  BGLR 28

PQRS CITY=HYD 26

;

;

RUN;

PROC PRINT DATA=NAMES;

RUN;

output

Obs    NAME     CITY    AGE

1     ABC             BGLR     25

2     DEFGH        HYD       30

3    PQRS            HYD      26

in above example IJKLMNO is  missing because the string CITY=  

not found,so the pointer will go to a new line.