PROC MACONTROL: Output Data Sets

The MACONTROL Procedure

Output Data Sets

OUTLIMITS= Data Set

The OUTLIMITS= data set saves the control limit parameters. The following variables can be saved:

Variable	Description
_ALPHA_	probability ( $\text{[math]}$ ) of exceeding limits
_INDEX_	optional identifier for the control limits specified with the OUTINDEX= option
_LIMITN_	sample size associated with the control limits
_MEAN_	process mean ( $\text{[math]}$ or $\text{[math]}$ )
_SIGMAS_	multiple ( $\text{[math]}$ ) of standard error of $\text{[math]}$
_SPAN_	number of terms in the moving average
_STDDEV_	process standard deviation ( $\text{[math]}$ or $\text{[math]}$ )
_SUBGRP_	subgroup-variable specified in the MACHART statement
_TYPE_	type (estimate or standard value) of _MEAN_ and _STDDEV_
_VAR_	process specified in the MACHART statement

The OUTLIMITS= data set does not contain the control limits; instead, it contains control limit parameters that can be used to recompute the control limits.

Notes:

If the control limits vary with subgroup sample size, the special missing value V is assigned to the variable _LIMITN_.
If the limits are defined in terms of a multiple $\text{[math]}$ of the standard error of $\text{[math]}$ , the value of _ALPHA_ is computed as $\text{[math]}$ , where $\text{[math]}$ is the standard normal distribution function.
If the limits are probability limits, the value of _SIGMAS_ is computed as $\text{[math]}$ , where $\text{[math]}$ is the inverse standard normal distribution function.
Optional BY variables are saved in the OUTLIMITS= data set.

The OUTLIMITS= data set contains one observation for each process specified in the MACHART statement.

You can use OUTLIMITS= data sets

to keep a permanent record of the control limit parameters
to write reports. You may prefer to use OUTTABLE= data sets for this purpose.
as LIMITS= data sets in subsequent runs of PROC MACONTROL

For an example of an OUTLIMITS= data set, see Saving Control Limit Parameters.

OUTHISTORY= Data Set

The OUTHISTORY= data set saves subgroup summary statistics. The following variables can be saved:

the subgroup-variable
a subgroup mean variable named by process suffixed with X
a subgroup standard deviation variable named by process suffixed with S
a subgroup moving average variable named by process suffixed with A
a subgroup sample size variable named by process suffixed with N

Given a process name that contains 32 characters, the procedure first shortens the name to its first 16 characters and its last 15 characters, and then it adds the suffix.

Subgroup summary variables are created for each process specified in the MACHART statement. For example, consider the following statements:

proc macontrol data=Clips;
   machart (Gap Yieldstrength)*Day / span      =3
                                     outhistory=Cliphist;
run;

The data set Cliphist would contain nine variables named Day, GapX, GapS, GapA, GapN, YieldstrengthX, YieldstrengthS, YieldstrengthA, and YieldstrengthN.

Additionally, the following variables, if specified, are included:

BY variables
block-variables
symbol-variable
ID variables
_PHASE_ (if the OUTPHASE= option is specified)

For an example of an OUTHISTORY= data set, see Saving Summary Statistics.

OUTTABLE= Data Set

The OUTTABLE= data set saves subgroup summary statistics, control limits, and related information. The following variables can be saved:

Variable	Description
_ALPHA_	probability ( $\text{[math]}$ ) of exceeding control limits
_EXLIM_	control limit exceeded on moving average chart
_LCLA_	lower control limit for moving average
_LIMITN_	nominal sample size associated with the control limits
_MEAN_	process mean
_SIGMAS_	multiple (k) of the standard error associated with control limits
_SPAN_	number of terms in the moving average
subgroup	values of the subgroup variable
_SUBN_	subgroup sample size
_SUBS_	subgroup standard deviation
_SUBX_	subgroup mean
_UCLA_	upper control limit for moving average
_UWMA_	uniformly weighted moving average
_VAR_	process specified in MACHART statement

In addition, the following variables, if specified, are included:

BY variables
block-variables
ID variables
_PHASE_ (if the READPHASES= option is specified)
symbol-variable

Notes:

Either the variable _ALPHA_ or the variable _SIGMAS_ is saved depending on how the control limits are defined (with the ALPHA= or SIGMAS= options, respectively; or with the corresponding variables in a LIMITS= data set).
The variables _VAR_ and _EXLIM_ are character variables of length 8. The variable _PHASE_ is a character variable of length 48. All other variables are numeric.

For an example of an OUTTABLE= data set, see Saving Control Limit Parameters.

Top of Page