Importing Data into SAS Using INFILE

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Importing Data into SAS Using INFILE, If you need to import data from a text file into a SAS dataset, the INFILE statement is an effective solution.

This powerful statement allows for precise control over how data is read from external files, making it essential for accurate data processing in SAS.

Importing Data into SAS Using INFILE

In this article, we will guide you through the syntax of the INFILE statement and provide a practical example to demonstrate how to use it effectively.

Basic Syntax of the INFILE Statement

The INFILE statement follows a straightforward syntax.

Below is the basic structure you will need when importing data:

data my_data;
    infile '/path/to/your/file/bball_data.txt' dlm=' ' dsd missover firstobs=2;
    input team $ position $ points assists;
run;

Breakdown of Each Line:

• data: This designates the name you want to assign to the dataset once it’s imported into SAS.
• infile: This indicates the exact location of the file you wish to import.
• dlm: This specifies the delimiter that separates the values within the file (in this case, a space).
• dsd: When specified, this option treats consecutive delimiters as a missing value, which is useful for handling gaps in your data.
• missover: This tells SAS to read each line as one observation, even if it doesn’t have all the values.
• firstobs: This option indicates which line should be considered the first line with actual data observations; here, we use it to start from the second row.

Practical Example: Using the INFILE Statement in SAS

Let’s say you have a text file named bball_data.txt. To import this data into a SAS dataset called my_data, you can use the following code snippet:

/* Import data from text file into SAS dataset */ 
data my_data;
    infile '/home/u13181/bball_data.txt' dlm=' ' dsd missover firstobs=2;
    input team $ position $ points assists;
run;

/* View dataset */
proc print data=my_data;

Explanation of the Code:

In the code above, we accomplish several things with the INFILE statement:

1. File Location: The INFILE statement specifies where the data file (bball_data.txt) is located on your system.
2. Delimiter: We set the dlm option to a space (' '), indicating that the values in the file are separated by spaces.
3. Handling Missing Values: The dsd option ensures that if there are two consecutive delimiters, SAS treats that as a missing value, which is helpful in managing incomplete data.
4. Line Handling: By using missover, we ensure that each line in the file corresponds to a single observation, making it easier to parse multi-row data.
5. Starting Observation: The firstobs=2 option makes sure that SAS skips the first row, considering only the subsequent rows as data entries.
6. Column Assignment: The input statement specifies the column names and types for the dataset.

Conclusion

By effectively utilizing the INFILE statement, you can seamlessly import data from text files into SAS datasets.

This method provides critical options for handling delimiters, missing values, and observation lines, making it a robust solution for various data import scenarios.

With the example provided, you’re now equipped to import your data into SAS accurately and efficiently.

Happy data processing!

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