SAS Institute. The Power to Know

Step-by-Step Programming with Base SAS(R) Software

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Starting with Raw Data: The Basics

Examine the Structure of the Raw Data: Factors to Consider

Before you can select the appropriate style of input, examine the structure of the raw data that you want to read. Consider some of the following factors:

  • how the data is arranged in the input records (For example, are data fields aligned in columns or unaligned? Are they separated by blanks or by other characters?)

  • whether character values contain embedded blanks

  • whether numeric values contain non-numeric characters such as commas

  • whether the data contains time or date values

  • whether each input record contains data for more than one observation

  • whether data for a single observation is spread over multiple input records

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