PROPCASE Function

Converts all words in an argument to proper case

Category: Character

Syntax

PROPCASE ( argument <, delimiter (s) >)

Arguments

argument

specifies any SAS character expression.

delimiter

specifies one or more delimiters that are enclosed in quotation marks. The default delimiters are blank, forward slash, hyphen, open parenthesis, period, and tab.
Tip: If you use this argument, then the default delimiters, including the blank, are no longer in effect.

Details

The PROPCASE function copies a character argument and converts all uppercase letters to lowercase letters . It then converts to uppercase the first character of a word that is preceded by a blank, forward slash, hyphen, open parenthesis, period, or tab. PROPCASE returns the value that is altered .

If you use the second argument, then the default delimiters are no longer in effect.

Examples

Example 1: Changing the Case of Words

The following example shows how PROPCASE handles the case of words:

 data _null_;     input place $ 1-40;     name=propcase(place);     put name;     datalines;  INTRODUCTION TO THE SCIENCE OF ASTRONOMY  VIRGIN ISLANDS (U.S.)  SAINT KITTS/NEVIS  WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.  ;  run;

SAS writes the following output to the log:

 Introduction To The Science Of Astronomy  Virgin Islands (U.S.)  Saint Kitts/Nevis  Winston-Salem, N.C.

Example 2: Using PROPCASE with Other Functions

This example shows that you can use the PROPCASE function inside other functions:

 data _null_;     x=lowcase('THIS IS A DOG');     y=propcase(x);     z=propcase(lowcase('THIS IS A DOG'));     put x=;     put y=;     put z=;  run;

SAS writes the following output to the log:

 x=this is a dog  y=This Is A Dog  z=This Is A Dog

Example 3: Using PROPCASE with Other Functions: Another Example

 data _null_;     string1='VERY RARE BOOKS';        /* PROPCASE converts the words in string1 to proper case. */     case1=propcase(string1);     put case1=;        /* TRANWRD searches string1 for the word VERY and */        /* replaces VERY with a blank. PROPCASE converts  */        /* the words in string1 to proper case.           */     case2=propcase(tranwrd(string1, 'VERY', ' '));     put case2=;  run;

SAS writes the following output to the log:

 case1=Very Rare Books  case2=Rare Books

Example 4: Using PROPCASE with a Second Argument

The following example uses a blank, a hyphen and a single quotation mark as the second argument so that names such as O'Keeffe and Burne-Jones are written correctly.

 options pageno=1 nodate ls=80 ps=64;  data names;     infile datalines dlm='#';     input CommonName : . CapsName : .;     PropcaseName=propcase(capsname, " -'");     datalines;  Delacroix, Eugene# EUGENE DELACROIX  O'Keeffe, Georgia# GEORGIA O'KEEFFE  Rockwell, Norman# NORMAN ROCKWELL  Burne-Jones, Edward# EDWARD BURNE-JONES  ;  proc print data=names noobs;     title 'Names of Artists';  run;

Output 4.33: Output Showing the Results of Using PROPCASE with a Second Argument

 Names of Artists                      1      CommonName            CapsName          PropcaseName  Delacroix, Eugene    EUGENE DELACROIX    Eugene Delacroix  O'Keeffe, Georgia    GEORGIA O'KEEFFE    Georgia O'Keeffe  Rockwell, Norman     NORMAN ROCKWELL     Norman Rockwell  Burne-Jones, Edward  EDWARD BURNE-JONES  Edward Burne-Jones

PROPCASE Function