options formdlim='-' pageno=min nodate; data harold; input A $ B $; *Notice that both variables to be concatenated must be declared as alphanumeric; AB1 = A || B; *I create the new variable AB1 by concatenating variables A and B; AB2 = TRIM(A) || TRIM(B); *I used the TRIM function to remove trailing blanks from A and B before concatenation; AB3 = TRIM(A) || '--' || TRIM(B); *I insert characters between A and B; cards; Wise 6588 Wuensch 4102 proc print; var A B AB1 AB2 AB3; run;