Creating and managing SAS datasets and formats/labels

1. BAS 150
Lesson 4: Creating and Managing SAS Datasets
& Formats and Labels

2. • Create a permanent SAS data set
• Effectively manage multiple SAS data sets and libraries
• Modify SAS data sets
• Evaluate the difference in data formats and labels
• Create a new variable in SAS using formats
This Lesson’s Learning Objectives

3. SAS Data Sets
 SAS datasets can be permanent or temporary.
 Previously, we’ve used the data statement to create
temporary SAS datasets.
 In this lesson, we’ll learn how to create permanent SAS
datasets using the data statement.

4.  They are subdirectories or folders
 They store SAS datasets
 Starts with libname statement
Understanding SAS Libraries (1 of 3)

5.  Libref is the location name you give for the subdirectory
where SAS needs to look for the dataset
 You will refer to this libref further in your programs
 The libref for this libname statement is:
Understanding SAS Libraries (2 of 3)

6.  Libref
o Naming Rules
 8 characters or less
 Begin with character or underscore
 No special characters or spaces
o If you do not specify a libref…
 Temporary save to work library
Understanding SAS Libraries (3 of 3)

7. Creating a Permanent SAS Dataset

8.  Two parts
o Descriptor
o Data
 PROC Statements
o PROC Print
o PROC Contents
Format of SAS Datasets

9. PROC Contents (1 of 2)
PROC Contents can be used to
display the metadata, or descriptor
portion, of the SAS dataset.

10. PROC Contents (2 of 2)
Note the key parts:
• Data set name
• File name
• Number of variables
• Number of
observations
• Variable list
Proc contents is an easy
way to know what’s in
your dataset

11. PROC Contents: VARNUM Option
 By default, all variables in the PROC contents procedure
are listed alphabetically
 Sometimes, it is useful to look at the variable list in the
order they were created
 This can be done using the VARNUM option.
Before: After:

12.  Useful for showing your results of your code
 However, doing a default proc print option with a large dataset will
generate endless pages of output and can even make SAS freeze.
 It’s better to specify options when using PROC Print, which we’ll
discuss next.
PROC Print

13.  There are several options for Proc Print:
o Var – specifies the variables you want to print
o Noobs – suppresses the default observation column
o Obs – limits the number of observations
PROC Print Options

14. Importing a SAS Data Set
 Soccer is the Library
 Soccer_Scores is the
dataset within the library.
 No need for infile
statements to retrieve
data.
 The set statement is like an
input statement, but instead
of reading in a raw data file,
it reads observations from a
SAS dataset.

15. Modifying a SAS Data Set
There are many different ways to
modify a SAS data set.
The example on the left uses the
“Where” statement to subset the
work.goals data set AND creates a
new SAS data set called
work.topgoals.
Work.topgoals only includes
observations where the goal
variable is greater than or equal to
10 goals.

16. Formats and Labels

17.  Label Statement
 Apply in DATA or PROC step
o DATA or PROC Datasets: permanent
o PROC steps: temporary
Using Labels (1 of 3)

18. Using Labels (2 of 3)
• The first label statement is in the data
statement.
• It creates permanent descriptors for the
variables player, goals, age and
years_playing
• The second label statement is in the
proc print statement.
• Proc Print requires a label option
when you want to display labels
(instead of field names) in the column
header, because the default is the
variable name.

19. Using Labels (3 of 3)
• To the right is the output
using our label statement
• The headings are now the
labels, instead of variable
names.

20.  Similar to labels
 Define appearance of data
 Grouping
 Predefined or custom
 Both Data and Proc steps
o Data: Permanent
o Proc: Temporary
Formats

21. Format Rules
$ Indicates a character format.
format Names the SAS format.
w
Specifies the total format width, including decimal places and
special characters.
.
Is required syntax. Formats always contain a period (.)
as part of the name.
d
Specifies the number of decimal places to display in numeric
formats.
<$>format<w>.<d>

22. Commonly Used SAS Formats
Format Definition
$w. Writes standard character data.
w.d Writes standard numeric data.
COMMAw.d
Writes numeric values with a comma that separates every three digits and
a period that separates the decimal fraction.
DOLLARw.d
Writes numeric values with a leading dollar sign, a comma that separates
every three digits, and a period that separates the decimal fraction.
COMMAXw.d
Writes numeric values with a period that separates every three digits and a
comma that separates the decimal fraction.
EUROXw.d
Writes numeric values with a leading euro symbol (€), a period that
separates every three digits, and a comma that separates the decimal
fraction.

23. Pre-formatted value Format Formatted value
2125854 comma10. 2,125,854
52115 dollar14.2 $52,115.00
17526 mmddyy8. 12/26/07
17526 weekdate. Wednesday, December 26, 2007
M $Gender. Male
12 AgeGroup. Under 18
C $PassFail. Passing Grade
Examples of Formats

24. Format Names

25. Specifying Ranges of Values
Age of Player Value
5 - 6 Level 1
7-9 Level 2
10-12 Level 3
We can create our own formats to simplify
data presentation by creating groups.
From the Soccer data, we can create a
format for age so that each value
represents a “Playing Level”
Example: Soccer players that are 5 or 6
years old are considered a “Level 1”,
where those that are 7,8 or 9 are
considered “Level 2”

26. Defining a Numeric Format
Using PROC Format
We create a new format
called “level”.
This format will convert the
age variable into playing
levels 1 – 3.
Notice we do not reference
age at all in the proc
statement. Why? Because
a format can be used for
any variable.

27. Applying a Numeric Format
Once we’ve created the format, we
can use it in PROC PRINT
Notice the period at the end of the
second group of statements.
This is important and an easy
place to make an error!
Remember, there is no period
when you create the format, but
a period is required when you
use it.

28. Viewing the Output
Note: I changed the age variable
label to ‘Playing Level’ for
reporting purposes

29. Creating a New Variable in SAS
Instead of changing the variable
label name for age, we can create a
new variable called “Playing_Level”.
By using a PUT statement we can
combine the age variable and the
format level to create
“Playing_Level”.
The Output.

30. • Create a permanent SAS data set
• Effectively manage multiple SAS data sets and libraries
• Modify SAS data sets
• Evaluate the difference in data formats and labels
• Create a new variable in SAS using formats
Summary - Learning Objectives

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