Data Deduplication in SAS with PROC SORT and NODUPKEY

Data Deduplication in SAS with PROC SORT and NODUPKEY, it’s common to encounter duplicate observations that can skew your results.

Fortunately, SAS provides the PROC SORT procedure, which not only allows you to order your data but also includes the NODUPKEY option to eliminate any duplicates.

Data Deduplication in SAS with PROC SORT and NODUPKEY

In this article, we will explore how to effectively sort and deduplicate your data using PROC SORT with NODUPKEY.

Creating a Sample Dataset

To illustrate how to use PROC SORT with NODUPKEY, let’s start with a sample dataset.

Below, we define a dataset named original_data that includes various teams along with their points and rebounds, some of which contain duplicate entries.

/* Create dataset */
data original_data;
    input team $ points rebounds;
    datalines;
A 12 8
A 12 8
A 12 8
A 23 9
A 20 12
A 14 7
A 14 7
B 20 2
B 20 5
B 29 4
B 14 7
B 20 2
B 20 2
B 20 5
;
run;

/* View dataset */
proc print data=original_data;
run;

Example: Using PROC SORT with NODUPKEY

Step 1: Basic Sorting of Data

Initially, you may want to sort the dataset based solely on the points column to arrange your observations. Here’s how you do it:

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/* Sort by points ascending */
proc sort data=original_data out=data_sorted;
    by points;
run;

/* View sorted dataset */
proc print data=data_sorted;
run;

In this code, data_sorted will contain the observations arranged in ascending order according to the values in the points column.

However, you will notice that duplicates still exist.

Step 2: Removing Duplicates with NODUPKEY

To sort the dataset while simultaneously removing any duplicate entries, you can leverage the NODUPKEY option in your PROC SORT statement.

This effectively cleans up your dataset while organizing the data. Here’s how:

/* Sort by points ascending and remove duplicates */
proc sort data=original_data out=data_no_duplicates nodupkey;
    by points;
run;

/* View sorted dataset without duplicates */
proc print data=data_no_duplicates;
run;

Now, data_no_duplicates will present the observations sorted in ascending order based on the points column, with all duplicate values removed.

Step 3: Sorting in Descending Order with Duplicates Removed

If your analysis requires sorting in descending order, you can easily modify your PROC SORT command to achieve this while still utilizing the NODUPKEY option:

/* Sort by points descending and remove duplicates */
proc sort data=original_data out=data_desc_no_duplicates nodupkey;
    by descending points;
run;

/* View sorted dataset without duplicates */
proc print data=data_desc_no_duplicates;
run;

In this example, data_desc_no_duplicates will show the observations sorted in descending order based on the points column, all while ensuring duplicates are eliminated.

Conclusion

By using PROC SORT with the NODUPKEY option in SAS, you can efficiently manage your datasets, eliminating duplicate observations as you sort them.

This technique not only tidies up your data but also prepares it for more accurate analysis.

Whether you’re sorting in ascending or descending order, mastering this functionality ensures that your data insights are based on clean and organized datasets.

Embrace the power of SAS’s PROC SORT with NODUPKEY, and take your data analysis to the next level!

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