Step-by-Step Programming with Base SAS 9.4

Performing the Same Action for a Series of Variables

Using a Series of IF-THEN Statements

In the data set MYLIB.ATTRACTIONS, the variables Museums, Galleries, and Other contain missing values when the tour does not feature that type of attraction. To change the missing values to 0, you can write a series of IF-THEN statements with assignment statements, as the following program illustrates:

   /* same action for different variables */
data changes;
   set mylib.attractions;
   if Museums = . then Museums = 0;
   if Galleries = . then Galleries = 0;
   if Other = . then Other = 0;
run;

The pattern of action is the same in the three IF-THEN statements. Only the variable name is different. To make the program easier to read, you can write SAS statements that ...