DESCRIBE

Displays the attributes of one or more variables.
Category: Manipulating DATA Step Variables
Alias: DESC

Syntax

DESCRIBE variable(s) | _ALL_

Required Arguments

variable(s)
identifies one or more DATA step variables
_ALL_
indicates all variables that are defined in the DATA step.

Details

The DESCRIBE command displays the attributes of one or more specified variables.
DESCRIBE reports the name, type, and length of the variable, and, if present, the informat, format, or variable label.

Example

  • Display the attributes of variable ADDRESS:
    desc address
  • Display the attributes of array element ARR{i + j}:
    desc arr{i+j}