**StudySAS Blog: Mastering Clinical Data Management with SAS**

*Create a temporary dataset... DSN; data dsn; a=1; b=2; c=3; d=4; e=5; f=6; run; % macro test(lib,dsn); */1)*/ data _null_; set sashelp.vtable(where=(libname=" &LIB " and memname= "&DSN" )); call symput( 'nvars', nvar); run; */2)*/ data dsn; set sashelp.vcolumn(where=(libname ="&LIB" and memname= "&DSN" )); call symput(cats( "var" ,_n_),name); run; */3)*/ proc datasets library =&LIB; modify &DSN; rename % do i = 1 % to &nvars; &&var&i=Rename_&&var&i. % end ; ; quit; run; % mend ; %test (WORK,DSN); After submitting the above program... the output looks like this.... Output: Rename_a Rename_b Rename_c Rename_d Rename_e Rename_f 1 2 3 4 5 6 Here is a way I know of.. to rename all the variables in the dataset; It can be done using the SASHELP views as follows: 1) The 1st step of the program determines the total number of variables inside the dataset with the help of SA...

Here is the simple way of merging the data sets with a common variable if the datasets has the same prefix name. For example: col1-col10, dsn1-dsn 7 , or data1 to data10 with common variable of ID. Considering we have 10 datsets and all of them having the same prefix data; %macro mymerge (n); data merged; merge %do i = 1 % to &n; data&i %end; ; /* this additional ';' is necessary, the first ';' is for the "%end", while the second ';' is for "Merge"*/; by id; run; %mend; %mymerge(10)