Beginning in SAS^® Version 7, a warning message like the following is produced by the DATA step to highlight a mismatch in the defined length of BY variables:

WARNING: Multiple lengths were specified for the BY variable xxxx by input data sets

In previous releases of SAS, it was possible to merge data sets with BY variables of different lengths, thus risking data integrity due to possible truncation of values. Note that the merge still occurs when this message is issued.

To ensure that truncation of values has not occurred, do one of the following:

• Run PROC CONTENTS on the data sets listed in the MERGE statement and specify the data set with the longest defined length for the BY variable(s) first.
• Standardize the length of the BY variables prior to performing the merge.

For further information about multiple lengths for a variable, see the following SAS Notes:

SAS Note 31850, "Using the LENGTH statement might produce a warning and rc=4"

SAS Note 37102, "The VARLENCHK= system option excludes BY variables"





Operating System and Release Information

Product Family	Product	System	SAS Release
			Reported	Fixed*
SAS System	Base SAS	Microsoft Windows 8 Pro 32-bit
		Microsoft Windows 8 Enterprise x64
		Microsoft® Windows® for 64-Bit Itanium-based Systems
		Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Datacenter 64-bit Edition
		Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise 64-bit Edition
		Microsoft Windows XP 64-bit Edition
		Microsoft® Windows® for x64
		OS/2
		Microsoft Windows 8 Enterprise 32-bit
		z/OS
		z/OS 64-bit
		OpenVMS VAX
		Microsoft Windows 8 Pro x64
		Microsoft Windows 8.1 Enterprise 32-bit
		Microsoft Windows 8.1 Enterprise x64
		Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro
		Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro 32-bit
		Microsoft Windows 95/98
		Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
		Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server
		Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
		Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
		Microsoft Windows NT Workstation
		Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition
		Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition
		Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition
		Microsoft Windows Server 2003 for x64
		Microsoft Windows Server 2008
		Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2
		Microsoft Windows Server 2008 for x64
		Microsoft Windows Server 2012 Datacenter
		Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter
		Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 Std
		Microsoft Windows Server 2012 Std
		Microsoft Windows XP Professional
		Windows 7 Enterprise 32 bit
		Windows 7 Enterprise x64
		Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit
		Windows 7 Home Premium x64
		Windows 7 Professional 32 bit
		Windows 7 Professional x64
		Windows 7 Ultimate 32 bit
		Windows 7 Ultimate x64
		Windows Millennium Edition (Me)
		Windows Vista
		Windows Vista for x64
		64-bit Enabled AIX
		64-bit Enabled HP-UX
		64-bit Enabled Solaris
		ABI+ for Intel Architecture
		AIX
		HP-UX
		HP-UX IPF
		IRIX
		Linux
		Linux for x64
		Linux on Itanium
		OpenVMS Alpha
		OpenVMS on HP Integrity
		Solaris
		Solaris for x64
		Tru64 UNIX

* For software releases that are not yet generally available, the Fixed Release is the software release in which the problem is planned to be fixed.