SAS Data Sets

Definition of a SAS Data Set

A SAS data set is a SAS file stored in a SAS library that SAS creates and processes. A SAS data set contains data values that are organized as a table of observations (rows) and variables (columns) that can be processed by SAS software. A SAS data set also contains descriptor information such as the data types and lengths of the variables, as well as which engine was used to create the data.

A SAS data set can be one of the following:

SAS data file	contains both the data and the descriptor information. SAS data files have a member type of DATA. For specific information, see SAS Data Files.
SAS view	is a virtual data set that points to data from other sources. SAS views have a member type of VIEW. For specific information, see SAS Views.

Note: The term SAS data set is used when a SAS view and a SAS data file can be used in the same manner. [cautionend]

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