%macro HILDARenameStripFirst(dataset);
/* --------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Generates a rename statement of the form
   Xvar1=var1 Xvar2=var2 etc
   where XvarN includes all variables (except Xwaveid).
   Usage example when setting up a long file:
   data long2;
     set hilda.combined_a (rename=(%HILDARenameStripFirst(hilda.combined_a)) in=in1)
         hilda.combined_b (rename=(%HILDARenameStripFirst(hilda.combined_b)) in=in2);
     if in1 then Wave=1;
     else if in2 then Wave=2;
     keep xwaveid hhrhid wave;
   run;
   proc sort data=long2;by xwaveid wave;run;
   Bruce Bradbury Aug07. 
   Tested on SAS version 9.1.3
   I used SAS paper 107-28 by Derek Morgan as inspiration for the sysfunc calls.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
%let DS = %sysfunc(open(&dataset,i)); /* open dataset to get variable names */
%if (&DS = 0) %then %put %sysfunc(sysmsg()); /* if can't open */
%else 
  %do i=1 %to %sysfunc(attrn(&DS,NVARS));
    %let varname = %sysfunc(varname(&DS,&i)); /* get the ith variable name */
    %let newvarname = %substr(&varname,2);    /* strip off the first character */
        %if %upcase(&varname)^=XWAVEID %then %do;
      %* output code here;
      &varname=&newvarname
        %end;
  %end;
%let CloseCode = %sysfunc(close(&DS));
%mend HILDARenameStripFirst;