Reading a Varying Number of Repeating Fields (2)

Creating Multiple Observations from a Single Record

Reading a Varying Number of Repeating Fields

Using the MISSOVER Option

You can adapt the DATA step to accommodate a varying number of values for Sales.

Like the previous example with the same number of repeating fields, your DATA step must read the same record more than once. However, you need to prevent the input pointer from moving to the next record when there are missing values for Sales.

     data perm.sales97;
        infile data97;
        input ID $4. @;
        do Quarter=1 to 4;
           input Sales : comma. @;
           output;
        end;
     run;

You can use the MISSOVER option in an INFILE statement to prevent the SAS System from reading the next record when missing values are encountered at the end of a record. Essentially, records that have a varying number of repeating fields are records that contain missing values, so you need to specify the MISSOVER option here as well.

Because there is at least one value for the repeating field, Sales, in each record, the first INPUT statement reads both the value for ID and the first value for Sales in the first record. The trailing @ holds the record so that any subsequent repeating fields can be read.

     data perm.sales97; 
        infile data97 missover;
        input ID $4. Sales : comma. @;

Raw Data File Data97

1---+----10--V+----20---+----30---+----40

1824 1,323.34 2,472.85

1943 1,908.34

2046 1,423.52 1,673.46 3,276.65

2063 2,345.34 2,452.45 3,523.52 2.983.01