SAS Regular Expression Example

Below is the example of  SAS Regular Expression function to make you understand this.

Two Perl Regular Expression(PRX) Functions –

1.       PRXPARSE

Description - It define a Perl regular expression which is further used by other Perl Regular Expression function like PRXMATCH.

Syntax – PRXPARSE(“/Perl Regular Expression/i”)

                  “ ” à Part of SAS syntax

                  / à Default Perl delimiter

                I à Ignore case sensitive

Example à PRXPARSE(“/sas/i”)

2.       PRXMATCH

Description – To locate the position in a string, where a regular expression is matched. This function always returns the first position in a string expression of the pattern described by the regular expression.  If pattern is not found, then returns a zero.

Syntax – PRXPARSE(“/Perl Regular Expression/i” or Pattern_id, String)

                  “ ” à Part of SAS syntax

                  / à Default Perl delimiter

                I à Ignore case sensitive

                Pattern_id à is the value returned from the  PRXPARSE function

Example à PRXMATCH(“/sas/i”, String)

or

                       If _N_ = 1 then Pattern = PRXPARSE(“/sas/i”);

                       Retain Pattern;

                      PRXMATCH(Pattern, String)

Code –

To find the word “SAS” anywhere in the string.

DATA Test;   

IF _N_ = 1 THEN PATTERN_NUM = PRXPARSE("/sas/i");   

* match for the word 'SAS' anywhere in the string;   

RETAIN PATTERN_NUM;

INPUT STRING $30.;   

POSITION = PRXMATCH(PATTERN_NUM,STRING);   

FILE PRINT;   

PUT PATTERN_NUM= STRING= POSITION=;

DATALINES;

Welcome to SAS india

SAS with Perl regular expression

Enjoy SAS with PRX

Perl Regular expression

;

run;

Output-