Language Reference

CALL SCATTER (x,y <*>GROUP=GroupVector <*>DATALABEL=LabelVector <*>OPTION=ScatterOption <*>GRID={"X" <,"Y">} <*>LABEL={XLabel <,YLabel>} <*>XVALUES=xValues<*>YVALUES=yValues<*>PROCOPT=ProcOption<*>LINEPARM={x0 y0 slope} <*>OTHER=Stmts );

The SCATTER subroutine displays a SCATTER plot by calling the SGPLOT procedure. The arguments x and y are vectors that contain the data to plot. The SCATTER subroutine is not a comprehensive interface to the SGPLOT procedure. It is intended for creating simple scatter plots for exploratory data analysis. The ODS statistical graphics subroutines are described in Chapter 16: Statistical Graphics.

A simple example follows:

use sashelp.cars;
read all var {MPG_City MPG_Highway};
close sashelp.cars;

title "Scatter Plot with Default Properties";
run Scatter(MPG_City, MPG_Highway) label={"MPG_City" "MPG_Highway"};

Specify the x vector inside parentheses and specify all options outside the parentheses. Use the global TITLE and FOOTNOTE statements to specify titles and footnotes. Each option corresponds to a statement or option in the SGPLOT procedure.

The following options correspond to options in the SCATTER statement in the SGPLOT procedure:

The SCATTER subroutine also supports the following options. The BAR subroutine documents these options and gives an example of their usage.

In addition, the LINEPARM= option specifies a three-element vector whose elements specify the X=, Y= and SLOPE= options, respectively, on the LINEPARM statement.

The following example creates several scatter plots with various options. Each scatter plot is documented in the program comments.

/* define data */
call randseed(1);
x = do(-5, 5, 0.25);
y = x/5 + sin(x) + RandFun(1||ncol(x), "Normal");

title "Scatter Plot with Groups and Reference Lines";
/* 1. Use the GROUP= option to assign a group to each observation
 * 2. Use the OTHER= option to add reference lines to the Y axis
 * 3. Use the PROCOPT= option to suppress the legend
 */
g = j(ncol(x), 1, 1);
g[ loc(y>=1) ] = 2;
g[ loc(y< -1) ] = 3;
run Scatter(x, y) group=g                       /* assign color/marker shape */
                  other="refline -1 1 / axis=y" /* add reference line */
                  procopt="noautolegend";       /* PROC option */

title "Scatter Plot with Data Labels and a Diagonal Line";
/* 1. Use the DATALABEL= option to label each marker
 * 2. Use the LINEPARM= option to add line passing through
 *    (0,0) with slope=0.2
 */
dlabels = putn(y, "4.1");
run Scatter(x, y) datalabel=dlabels    /* label each marker */
                  lineparm={0 0 0.2};  /* line through (0,0) with slope 0.2 */

title "Scatter Plot with Axis Options";
/* 1. Use the OPTION= option to specify marker attributes
 * 2. Use the GRID= option to add a reference grid
 * 3. Use the LABEL= option to specify axis labels
 * 4. Use the XVALUES= and YVALUES= options to specify tick positions
 */
call Scatter(x,y) option="markerattrs=(symbol=DiamondFilled)"
                  grid= {X Y}
                  label={"My X Value" "My Y Value"}
                  xvalues = -4:4
                  yvalues = do(-2,2,0.5);