Formats can look-like informats but are differentiated as to which statement they are used in…Įg. FORMAT Statement Associates formats with variables It’s basically used in a datastep format / SQL select / Procedure format statements to output SAS data to a file/report etc. INFORMAT Statement - Associates informats with variables It’s basically used in an input / SQL create table statements to read external file raw data or data that is not in a SAS format. What is the difference between an informat and a format? Name three informats or formats.
Variables without any values assigned are set to missing. TRUNCOVER enables you to read variable-length records when some records are shorter than the INPUT statement expects. By default, the INPUT statement automatically reads the next input data record. TRUNCOVER overrides the default behavior of the INPUT statement when an input data record is shorter than the INPUT statement expects. When an INPUT statement reaches the end of the current input data record, variables without any values assigned are set to missing. Prevents an INPUT statement from reading a new input data record if it does not find values in the current input line for all the variables in the statement. When you specify DSD, SAS treats two consecutive delimiters as a missing value and removes quotation marks from character values If reading a variable length file with fixed input, how would you prevent SAS from reading the next record if the last variable didn't have a value? Options MISSOVER and TRUNCOVER options. The DSD option changes how SAS treats delimiters when you use LIST input and sets the default delimiter to a comma. Are you familiar with special input delimiters? How are they used? DLM, DSD are the special input delimiters… DELIMITER= delimiter(s) specifies an alternate delimiter (other than a blank) to be used for LIST input DSD (delimiter-sensitive data) specifies that when data values are enclosed in quotation marks, delimiters within the value be treated as character data. How do you read in the variables that you need? Using Input statement with column /line pointers, informats and length specifiers.
What SAS statements would you code to read an external raw data file to a DATA step? We use SAS statements – FILENAME – to specify the location of the file INFILE - Identifies an external file to read with an INPUT statement INPUT – to specify the variables that the data is identified with.