Stat Computing > SAS > Topics

SAS Topics
Data Management

These pages contain links from all parts of our web site and others web sites on data management.  The topics will vary from introductory to advanced.

• SAS Class Notes
  • Entering Data
  • Modifying Data
  • Exploring Data
  • Managing Data
• SAS Learning Modules
  • Reading raw data into SAS
    • Inputting raw data into SAS
    • Reading dates into SAS and using date variables
  • Basic data management in SAS
    • Creating and recoding variables
    • Using SAS functions for making/recoding variables
    • Subsetting variables and observations
    • Missing values in SAS
    • Labeling data, variables, and values
    • Using PROC SORT and the BY statement
    • Making and using permanent SAS data files (version 8)
    • Making and using permanent SAS data files (version 6)
  • Classic data management problems
    • merging data files via data step, proc SQL
    • Concatenating (stacking) SAS data files
    • Working across variables
    • Collapsing across observations in SAS via proc means, proc SQL , data step I , data step II 
    • Reshaping data from wide to long via proc transpose , data step
    • Reshaping data from long to wide via proc transpose , data step
• SAS Frequently Asked Questions
  • Converting among SAS, SPSS and Stata
    • How do I convert among SAS, SPSS and Stata data files?
    • How do I move SAS files from Unix to Windows?
  • Reading/writing SAS data files in SAS version 8
    • How do a read/convert a version 6 SAS files/format using SAS version 8?
      How do I convert a SAS version 8 file to a SAS version 6 file?
  • Reading/writing data files
    • How do I read a file that uses commas, tabs or spaces as delimiters to separate variables?
    • How do I read a delimited file with missing values?
    • How do I read a delimited file that has delimiters embedded in the data?
    • What are some common infile options for reading a raw data file?
    • How do I read raw data files compressed with gzip (.gz files) in SAS?
    • How do I read raw data via FTP in SAS?
    • How can I read multiple raw data files in SAS?
    • How do I write a data file that uses commas, tabs or spaces as delimiters between variables?
    • How do I read/write Excel files in SAS version 8?
    • How do I create an ASCII file from a SAS data set using put statement?
    • How do I read multiple raw data files with the same structure in one data step?
    • How do I write out a fixed-format file in SAS?
    • How can I export my SAS results to an Excel spreadsheet?
    • How can I send SAS data/results to specific cells in an Excel spreadsheet?
  • Transferring files to/from other computer platforms
    • How do I transfer SAS data files from a PC to Unix? 
    • How do I transfer SAS data files from UNIX to a PC?  
  • Reading/writing SAS files with Formats
    • How do I use a SAS data file with a format library?
    • How do I use a SAS data file when I don't have its format library?
  • Data management
    • How do I make unique anonymous ID variables for my data?
    • How can I create an enumeration variable by groups?
    • How do I use keep and drop efficiently?
    • How can I see the number of missing values and patterns of missing values in my data file?
    • How can I count the number of missing values for a character variable?
    • How can I increment dates in SAS?
    • How can I find things in a character variable in SAS?
    • How do I standardize variables (make them have a mean of 0 and sd of 1)?
    • Is there a quick way to create dummy variables?  
    • How can I create different kinds of centered variables in SAS?
    • How do I specify types of missing values?
    • How do I check that the same data input by two people are consistently entered?
    • How do I read in a character variable with varying length in a space delimited dataset?
    • How do I display information for all the SAS datasets in a directory?
    • How can I get rid of extra spaces in a string variable?
    • Where can I find more functions to create new variables?
    • How can I recode my ID variable to be short and numeric?
    • How can I create lag and lead variables in longitudinal data?
    • How can I include cells with zero counts in proc freq with the list option?
    • How do I write a fixed-format file with right-justified values?
    • Where can I find more functions to create new variables?
• SAS Library
  • Reading data/data transformation/data management
    • Reading Data into SAS adapted from materials created by Oliver Schabenberger
    • The Input Statement: Where It's @ by Ronald Cody, courtesy of NESUG
    • Data Transformations and Manipulation in SAS adapted from materials created by Oliver Schabenberger
    • Working with SAS Date and Time Functions by Andrew H. Karp, courtesy of NESUG  
    • Creative Uses of Functions  by Steven A. Wright, courtesy of NESUG
    • Data Cleaning 101 by Ronald Cody, courtesy of NESUG
    • How MERGE Really Works  byBob Virgile, courtesy of NESUG
    • Transforming Multiple-Record Data into Single-Record Format when Number of Variables is Large by David Izrael and David Russo, courtesy of NESUG
    • Longitudinal Data Techniques: Looking Across Observations by Ronald Cody, Ed.D., Robert Wood Johnson, courtesy of NESUG
    • Changing the Shape of Your Data: PROC TRANSPOSE vs. Arrays by Bob Virgile, courtesy of NESUG
    • The RETAIN Statement: One Window into the SAS Data Step by Paul Gorrell, courtesy of NESUG
  • Procedures
    • PROC MEANS More than just your average procedure by Peter R. Welbrock, courtesy of NESUG
    • The power of PROC FORMAT by Jonas V. Bilenas, courtesy of NESUG 
    • Ten Things You Should Know About PROC FORMAT by Jack Shoemaker, courtesy of NESUG
    • PROC SQL for DATA Step Die-Hards by Christianna S. Williams, courtesy of NESUG
    • An Introduction to the SQL Procedure by Chris Yindra, courtesy of NESUG
    • Alternatives to Merging SAS Data Sets … But Be Careful by Michael J. Wieczkowski, courtesy of NESUG
    • Handling Missing Values in the SQL Procedure by Danbo Yi and MA Lei Zhang, courtesy of NESUG
    • Creating and using indexes in SAS
    • Creating and using formats and format libraries in SAS
    • Using multidimensional arrays
• SAS Code Fragments
  • Reading/writing files
    • Reading an Excel file in SAS version 8
    • Making a fixed format file
    • Making a SAS cport file
    • Reading a SAS cport file
    • Reading an EBCDIC file
    • Reading multiple raw data files, Version 8
    • Reading multiple raw data files (version 6.x)
    • Using a SAS macro to "set" multiple files
    • Reading hierarchical data
    • Changing tabs to spaces (if both are included as delimiters)
    • Reading an electronic codebook and writing an input statement
    • Reading a multiple-line-per-subject data file
  • Other
    • Checking for duplicate IDs
    • Changing the length of a character variable
    • Replacing strings
    • Concatenating string variables using CAT functions
    • Reading a SAS data file into proc IML
    • Executing system level commands within SAS
    • Copying and combining SAS format libraries
    • Eliminate useless variables
    • How can I "fill down" a variable?
    • Creating a long list of variable names based on an abbreviated one
    • Filling in missing values over time
    • Matching with a wildcard using Perl regular expression

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