SAS Language Reference: Dictionary

DATA Step Statements

Executable and Declarative Statements

DATA step statements are those that can appear in the DATA step. They can be either executable or declarative. Executable statements result in some action during individual iterations of the DATA step; declarative statements supply information to SAS and take effect when the system compiles program statements.

The following tables show the SAS executable and declarative statements that you can use in the DATA step.

Executable Statements in the DATA Step
Executable Statements

ABORT IF, Subsetting
PUT

assignment IF-THEN/ELSE
PUT, Column

CALL INFILE
PUT, Formatted

CONTINUE INPUT
PUT, List

DELETE INPUT, Column
PUT, Named

DISPLAY INPUT, List
REDIRECT

DO INPUT, Named
REMOVE

DO, Iterative LEAVE
REPLACE

DO Until LINK
RETURN

DO While LIST
SELECT

ERROR LOSTCARD
SET

FILE MERGE
STOP

FILE, ODS Null
Sum

GO TO OUTPUT
UPDATE

***Executable Statements in the DATA Step***
Executable Statements
ABORT	IF, Subsetting	PUT
assignment	IF-THEN/ELSE	PUT, Column
CALL	INFILE	PUT, Formatted
CONTINUE	INPUT	PUT, List
DELETE	INPUT, Column	PUT, Named
DISPLAY	INPUT, List	REDIRECT
DO	INPUT, Named	REMOVE
DO, Iterative	LEAVE	REPLACE
DO Until	LINK	RETURN
DO While	LIST	SELECT
ERROR	LOSTCARD	SET
FILE	MERGE	STOP
FILE, ODS	Null	Sum
GO TO	OUTPUT	UPDATE

Declarative Statements in the DATA Step
Declarative Statements

ARRAY DATALINES
LABEL

Array Reference DATALINES4
Labels, Statement

ATTRIB DROP
LENGTH

BY END
RENAME

CARDS FORMAT
RETAIN

CARDS4 INFORMAT
WHERE

DATA KEEP
WINDOW

***Declarative Statements in the DATA Step***
Declarative Statements
ARRAY	DATALINES	LABEL
Array Reference	DATALINES4	Labels, Statement
ATTRIB	DROP	LENGTH
BY	END	RENAME
CARDS	FORMAT	RETAIN
CARDS4	INFORMAT	WHERE
DATA	KEEP	WINDOW

DATA Step Statements by Category

In addition to being either executable or declarative, SAS DATA step statements can be grouped into four categories, depending on their function.

Categories of DATA Step Statements
Statements in this category . . . let you . . .

ACTION

create and modify variables

select only certain observations to process in the DATA step

look for errors in the input data

work with observations as they are being created.

CONTROL

skip statements for certain observations

change the order that statements are executed

transfer control from one part of a program to another.

FILE-HANDLING

work with files used as input to the data set

work with files to be written by the DATA step.

INFORMATION

give SAS additional information about the program data vector

give SAS additional information about the data set or data sets that are being created.

***Categories of DATA Step Statements***
Statements in this category . . .	let you . . .
ACTION	create and modify variables select only certain observations to process in the DATA step look for errors in the input data work with observations as they are being created.
CONTROL	skip statements for certain observations change the order that statements are executed transfer control from one part of a program to another.
FILE-HANDLING	work with files used as input to the data set work with files to be written by the DATA step.
INFORMATION	give SAS additional information about the program data vector give SAS additional information about the data set or data sets that are being created.

The following table lists and briefly describes the DATA step statements by category.

Categories and Descriptions of DATA Step Statements
Category Statement Description

Action ABORT
Stops executing the current DATA step, SAS job, or SAS session

Assignment
Evaluates an expression and stores the result in a variable

CALL
Invokes or calls a SAS CALL routine

DELETE
Stops processing the current observation

ERROR
Sets _ERROR_ to 1 and, optionally, writes a message to the SAS log

IF, Subsetting
Continues processing only those observations that meet the condition

LIST
Writes to the SAS log the input data records for the observation that is being processed

LOSTCARD
Resynchronizes the input data when SAS encounters a missing or invalid record in data that have multiple records per observation

Null
Signals the end of data lines; acts as a placeholder*

OUTPUT
Writes the current observation to a SAS data set

REDIRECT
Points to different input or output SAS data sets when you execute a stored program

REMOVE
Deletes an observation from a SAS data set

REPLACE
Replaces an observation in the same location

STOP
Stops execution of the current DATA step

Sum
Adds the result of an expression to an accumulator variable

WHERE
Selects observations from SAS data sets that meet a particular condition

Control CONTINUE
Stops processing the current DO-loop iteration and resumes with the next iteration

DO
Designates a group of statements to be executed as a unit

DO, Iterative
Executes statements between DO and END repetitively based on the value of an index variable

DO UNTIL
Executes statements in a DO loop repetitively until a condition is true

DO WHILE
Executes statements repetitively while a condition is true

END
Ends a DO group or a SELECT group

GO TO
Moves execution immediately to the statement label that is specified

IF-THEN/ELSE
Executes a SAS statement for observations that meet specific conditions

Labels, Statement
Identifies a statement that is referred to by another statement

LEAVE
Stops processing the current loop and resumes with the next statement in sequence

LINK
Jumps to a statement label

RETURN
Stops executing statements at the current point in the DATA step and returns to a predetermined point in the step

SELECT
Executes one of several statements or groups of statements

File-handling BY
Controls the operation of a SET, MERGE, MODIFY, or UPDATE statement in the DATA step and sets up special grouping variables

CARDS
Indicates that data lines follow

CARDS4
Indicates that data lines that contain semicolons follow

DATA
Begins a DATA step and provides names for any output SAS data sets

DATALINES
Indicates that data lines follow

DATALINES4
Indicates that data lines that contain semicolons follow

FILE
Specifies the current output file for PUT statements

FILE, ODS
Defines the structure of the data component that holds the results of the DATA step and binds that component to a template to produce an output object. ODS sends this object to all open ODS destinations, each of which formats the object appropriately. Also controls what happens when the PUT statement tries to write past the end of a line.

INFILE
Identifies an external file to read with an INPUT statement

INPUT
Describes the arrangement of values in the input data record and assigns input values to the corresponding SAS variables

INPUT, Column
Reads input values from specified columns and assigns them to the corresponding SAS variables

INPUT, Formatted
Reads input values with specified informats and assigns them to the corresponding SAS variables

INPUT, List
Scans the input data record for input values and assigns them to the corresponding SAS variables

INPUT, Named
Reads data values that appear after a variable name that is followed by an equal sign and assigns them to corresponding SAS variables

MERGE
Joins observations from two or more SAS data sets into single observations

MODIFY
Replaces, deletes, and appends observations in an existing SAS data set in place; does not create an additional copy

PUT
Writes lines to the SAS log, to the SAS procedure output file, or to an external file that is specified in the most recent FILE statement

PUT, Column
Writes variable values in the specified columns in the output line

PUT, Formatted
Writes variable values with the specified format in the output line

PUT, List
Writes variable values and the specified character strings in the output line

PUT, Named
Writes variable values after the variable name and an equal sign

PUT, _ODS_
Writes data values to a special buffer from which they can be written to the data component, and formatted by ODS destinations

SET
Reads an observation from one or more SAS data sets

UPDATE
Updates a master file by applying transactions

Information ARRAY
Defines elements of an array

Array Reference
Describes the elements in an array to be processed

ATTRIB
Associates a format, informat, label, and/or length with one or more variables

DROP
Excludes variables from output SAS data sets

FORMAT
Associates formats with variables

INFORMAT
Associates informats with variables

KEEP
Includes variables in output SAS data sets

LABEL
Assigns descriptive labels to variables

LENGTH
Specifies the number of bytes for storing variables

MISSING
Assigns characters in your input data to represent special missing values for numeric data

RENAME
Specifies new names for variables in output SAS data sets

RETAIN
Causes a variable that is created by an INPUT or assignment statement to retain its value from one iteration of the DATA step to the next

***Categories and Descriptions of DATA Step Statements***
Category	Statement	Description
Action	ABORT	Stops executing the current DATA step, SAS job, or SAS session
	Assignment	Evaluates an expression and stores the result in a variable
	CALL	Invokes or calls a SAS CALL routine
	DELETE	Stops processing the current observation
	ERROR	Sets _ERROR_ to 1 and, optionally, writes a message to the SAS log
	IF, Subsetting	Continues processing only those observations that meet the condition
	LIST	Writes to the SAS log the input data records for the observation that is being processed
	LOSTCARD	Resynchronizes the input data when SAS encounters a missing or invalid record in data that have multiple records per observation
	Null	Signals the end of data lines; acts as a placeholder*
	OUTPUT	Writes the current observation to a SAS data set
	REDIRECT	Points to different input or output SAS data sets when you execute a stored program
	REMOVE	Deletes an observation from a SAS data set
	REPLACE	Replaces an observation in the same location
	STOP	Stops execution of the current DATA step
	Sum	Adds the result of an expression to an accumulator variable
	WHERE	Selects observations from SAS data sets that meet a particular condition
Control	CONTINUE	Stops processing the current DO-loop iteration and resumes with the next iteration
	DO	Designates a group of statements to be executed as a unit
	DO, Iterative	Executes statements between DO and END repetitively based on the value of an index variable
	DO UNTIL	Executes statements in a DO loop repetitively until a condition is true
	DO WHILE	Executes statements repetitively while a condition is true
	END	Ends a DO group or a SELECT group
	GO TO	Moves execution immediately to the statement label that is specified
	IF-THEN/ELSE	Executes a SAS statement for observations that meet specific conditions
	Labels, Statement	Identifies a statement that is referred to by another statement
	LEAVE	Stops processing the current loop and resumes with the next statement in sequence
	LINK	Jumps to a statement label
	RETURN	Stops executing statements at the current point in the DATA step and returns to a predetermined point in the step
	SELECT	Executes one of several statements or groups of statements
File-handling	BY	Controls the operation of a SET, MERGE, MODIFY, or UPDATE statement in the DATA step and sets up special grouping variables
	CARDS	Indicates that data lines follow
	CARDS4	Indicates that data lines that contain semicolons follow
	DATA	Begins a DATA step and provides names for any output SAS data sets
	DATALINES	Indicates that data lines follow
	DATALINES4	Indicates that data lines that contain semicolons follow
	FILE	Specifies the current output file for PUT statements
	FILE, ODS	Defines the structure of the data component that holds the results of the DATA step and binds that component to a template to produce an output object. ODS sends this object to all open ODS destinations, each of which formats the object appropriately. Also controls what happens when the PUT statement tries to write past the end of a line.
	INFILE	Identifies an external file to read with an INPUT statement
	INPUT	Describes the arrangement of values in the input data record and assigns input values to the corresponding SAS variables
	INPUT, Column	Reads input values from specified columns and assigns them to the corresponding SAS variables
	INPUT, Formatted	Reads input values with specified informats and assigns them to the corresponding SAS variables
	INPUT, List	Scans the input data record for input values and assigns them to the corresponding SAS variables
	INPUT, Named	Reads data values that appear after a variable name that is followed by an equal sign and assigns them to corresponding SAS variables
	MERGE	Joins observations from two or more SAS data sets into single observations
	MODIFY	Replaces, deletes, and appends observations in an existing SAS data set in place; does not create an additional copy
	PUT	Writes lines to the SAS log, to the SAS procedure output file, or to an external file that is specified in the most recent FILE statement
	PUT, Column	Writes variable values in the specified columns in the output line
	PUT, Formatted	Writes variable values with the specified format in the output line
	PUT, List	Writes variable values and the specified character strings in the output line
	PUT, Named	Writes variable values after the variable name and an equal sign
	PUT, _ODS_	Writes data values to a special buffer from which they can be written to the data component, and formatted by ODS destinations
	SET	Reads an observation from one or more SAS data sets
	UPDATE	Updates a master file by applying transactions
Information	ARRAY	Defines elements of an array
	Array Reference	Describes the elements in an array to be processed
	ATTRIB	Associates a format, informat, label, and/or length with one or more variables
	DROP	Excludes variables from output SAS data sets
	FORMAT	Associates formats with variables
	INFORMAT	Associates informats with variables
	KEEP	Includes variables in output SAS data sets
	LABEL	Assigns descriptive labels to variables
	LENGTH	Specifies the number of bytes for storing variables
	MISSING	Assigns characters in your input data to represent special missing values for numeric data
	RENAME	Specifies new names for variables in output SAS data sets
	RETAIN	Causes a variable that is created by an INPUT or assignment statement to retain its value from one iteration of the DATA step to the next

FOOTNOTE 1: * Because it can be branched to, the null statement is considered an executable statement in the DATA step. However, the null statement can appear anywhere in a SAS program.

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