Working with SAS Data Sets

Selecting a Set of Variables

You can use the VAR clause to select a set of variables. The general form of the VAR clause is as follows:

VAR operand

where operand can be specified by using one of the following items:

• a literal containing variable names
• the name of a matrix containing variable names
• an expression in parentheses yielding variable names
• one of the following keywords:

  
  
  

  _ALL_

  for all variables

  _CHAR_

  for all character variables

  _NUM_

  for all numeric variables

The following examples show all possible ways you can use the VAR clause:

  
   var {time1 time5 time9};  /* a literal giving the variables */ 
   var time;                  /* a matrix containing the names */ 
   var('time1':'time9');                    /* an expression   */ 
   var _all_;                                     /* a keyword */
 

For example, to list students' names from the CLASS data set, use the VAR clause with a literal, as in the following statement:

  
    > list point p var{name}; 
  
                 OBS NAME 
              ------ -------- 
                   2 THOMAS 
                   4 JANE 
                   9 BARBARA
 

To list AGE, HEIGHT, and WEIGHT, you can use the VAR clause with a matrix giving the variables, as in the following statements:

  
    > v={age height weight}; 
    > list point p var v; 
  
               OBS       AGE    HEIGHT    WEIGHT 
            ------ --------- --------- --------- 
                 2   11.0000   57.5000   85.0000 
                 4   12.0000   59.8000   84.5000 
                 9   13.0000   65.3000   98.0000
 

The VAR clause can be used with the following statements for the tasks described: