SAS Programming Concepts: In-Depth
Explanatory Guide
1. INPUT Statement Behavior in DATA Steps
Concept:
When you use multiple input statements in a DATA step, each input reads from the input buffer
based on how previous statements or line-hold specifiers (@) are used.
a. Workflow
Single use:
input x y;
Reads both variables from the current input record (row).
Multiple uses (no hold):
input x;
input y;
Each new input statement moves to the next raw data line, so x and y are read from
separate lines.
b. Hold Specifiers
Adding @ at the end holds the current line for more input:
input x @;
input y;
Both x and y read from the same line.
Diagram
Raw Data: 5 10
input x; x=5 (line 1)
input y; y=10 (line 2)
2. Implicit Data Conversion in SAS
Concept:
SAS automatically converts data types in certain cases (called implicit conversions):
Character-to-numeric:
When you use a character variable in a numeric context.
data test;
charval = "123";
num = charval + 1; /* SAS converts charval to 123 */
run;
Numeric-to-character:
When you use a numeric variable in a character context.
data test;
numval = 456;
char = put(numval, 8.); /* explicit, but SAS will also auto-convert if needed */
run;
Warning:
SAS logs NOTE messages like “numeric values have been converted...” if implicit conversions
occur.
3. Difference between .sas and .sas7bdat
.sas:
Type: Text program file.
Use: Contains SAS code, data steps, procedures, macros, etc.
Editable: Yes, in any text editor.
.sas7bdat:
Type: Binary data file.
Use: Stores SAS datasets (tables).
Editable: Only readable by SAS software.
Extension File Type Use Editable?
.sas SAS Program Code/Script Yes
.sas7bdat SAS Dataset Data Tables No
4. Controlled Terminology vs. Codelist
Aspect Controlled Terminology Codelist
A standard set of terms defined by an A finite list of allowable values, which may or
Definition
authority (e.g., CDISC, MedDRA) may not be controlled standards
Aspect Controlled Terminology Codelist
External standards (MedDRA, CDISC, Study-specific or sponsor-defined or external
Source
SNOMED) source
Change
Strict (managed by organizations) Variable, may be flexible
Control
Example Gender: M=Male, F=Female (CDISC) Status: 1=Active, 2=Inactive
5. WHERE Statement Restrictions Inside DATA Steps
The WHERE statement can only be applied directly with SET, MERGE, UPDATE, or MODIFY
inside a DATA step, not arbitrarily in the middle.
data new;
set old;
where x=1; /* Valid */
/* ... */
run;
Placing a WHERE statement after other DATA step code (without being part of a SET or similar
statement) will cause an error.
6. No Statements Allowed After DATALINES
When using datalines; (or cards;), no SAS statements are allowed after the data lines in
the same DATA step.
The block must end with a single semicolon on a line.
data test;
input x y;
datalines;
1 2
3 4
; /* NO code between this and the run; */
run;
7. WHERE vs. IF After INFILE/INPUT
When reading raw/external data (with infile + input), WHERE statements cannot be used to
filter observations. Use IF instead.
The WHERE statement is only valid when reading from an existing SAS dataset (e.g., SET
statement).
Example:
data filter1;
infile 'external.txt';
input id age;
if age > 20; /* Valid */
run;
data filter2;
set data_existing;
where age > 20; /* Valid */
run;
8. FIND Function Case Sensitivity
The find() function in SAS is case-sensitive by default.
find(string, 'XX') will not match 'xx' in the string.
To ignore case, use the modifiers or findc() with :i
e.g., find(string, 'xx', 'i') ignores case.
9. Nesting DATA Steps in SAS
Standard Practice:
SAS does not allow one DATA step to be placed inside another (no true nesting).
Implementation:
You can have multiple DATA steps sequentially, but not nested:
data a;
/* code */
run;
data b;
/* code */
run;
If attempted, SAS returns a syntax error.
10. LEAVE vs. BREAK Statements
Statement Behavior Where Used
LEAVE Immediately exits current loop (DO or DO WHILE/UNTIL) DATA step loops
BREAK Used with PROC REPORT for breaking on variable value PROC REPORT only
LEAVE is similar to “break” in other languages: it stops the nearest enclosing loop and
continues afterwards.
11. Default Length of Character Variables
By default:
SAS assigns a character variable length of 8 bytes if you do not specify a length.
Exception:
If you create a character variable using the CHAR() function, the default length is 200 bytes.
Variable Creation Default Length
char variable (data step, no explicit length) 8 bytes
using CHAR() function 200 bytes
12. Default SAS Date Format
SAS stores dates as numbers (days since 1960-01-01).
When displayed, the default format is DATE9., e.g., 01JAN1960.
13. Character Variables: Length by Value
If you specify a value on creation, but don’t use a LENGTH statement, the length of the
variable is determined by the first occurrence.
data test;
x = 'ABCD'; /* x has length 4 */
run;
But if assigned a shorter value later, it is still stored at the assigned length.
Diagrams
For illustration, here's a text-based example for a few points:
Input Statement Flow (1)
Data: 10 20
-------------------
input x; --> x=10
input y; --> y=20 (next line!)
Case Sensitivity in FIND Function (8):
String: 'Apple'
find('Apple', 'ap') --> 0 (no match)
find('Apple', 'ap', 'i') --> 1 (match, ignores case)
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