This document will show you how to prepare your data for your SAS
Program. The next section explains how to prepare raw data as well as SAS
Data Sets. The last section shows how to create an Inline Data Source if
one is desired, and how to prepare the Data Step of your SAS program.
- The raw data file contains the values of variables in text (ASCII)
- Data may be read inline (in the body of the SAS comand file)
or from an external data file. It is better to use inline data sets for
short test programs only, since a single data file can't be read by many
- The values for each unit of analysis appear on one or more (contiguous)
- Missing data may be left blank if the columns or format are specified
in the data step.
- If data are read using freefield input (scanning for blanks), missing
values may be indicated with a decimal point.
SAS Data Sets
- A SAS Data Set consists of the variable names, formats, labels,
and data values stored in machine-readable format. The Data Set may be
created from a raw data set in a SAS data step (see the SAS syntax page) or in a SAS PROC
such as PROC REG.
- SAS data sets may be temporary (existing for the duration
of the SAS run) or permanent (stored on tape or disk for