SAS 9.4 Language Reference, 6th Edition

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External Files

The following example shows how to read in raw data from an external file using the

INFILE and INPUT statements:

data weight;

infile file-specification or path-name;

input PatientID $ Week1 Week8 Week16;

loss=Week1-Week16;

run;

Note: See the SAS documentation for your operating environment for information about

how to specify a file with the INFILE statement.

Reading Raw Data with the INPUT Statement

Choosing an Input Style

The INPUT statement reads raw data from instream data lines or external files into a

SAS data set. You can use the following different input styles, depending on the layout

of data values in the records:

• list input

• column input

• formatted input

• named input

You can also combine styles of input in a single INPUT statement. For details about the

styles of input, see the INPUT statement in SAS DATA Step Statements: Reference.

List Input

List input uses a scanning method for locating data values. Data values are not required

to be aligned in columns but must be separated by at least one blank (or other defined

delimiter). List input requires only that you specify the variable names and a dollar sign

($), if defining a character variable. You do not have to specify the location of the data

fields.

An example of list input follows:

data scores;

length name $ 12;

input name $ score1 score2;

datalines;

Riley 1132 1187

Reading Raw Data with the INPUT Statement 445

Henderson 1015 1102

;

List input has several restrictions on the type of data that it can read:

• Input values must be separated by at least one blank (the default delimiter) or by the

delimiter specified with the DLM= or DLMSTR= option in the INFILE statement. If

you want SAS to read consecutive delimiters as if there is a missing value between

them, specify the DSD option in the INFILE statement.

• Blanks cannot represent missing values. A real value, such as a period, must be used

instead.

• To read and store a character input value longer than 8 bytes, define a variable's

length by using a LENGTH, INFORMAT, or ATTRIB statement before the INPUT

statement, or by using modified list input, which consists of an informat and the

colon modifier in the INPUT statement. See “Modified List Input” on page 446 for

more information.

• Character values cannot contain embedded blanks when the file is delimited by

blanks.

• Fields must be read in order.

• Data must be in standard numeric or character format.

Note: Nonstandard numeric values, such as packed decimal data, must use the formatted

style of input. See “Formatted Input” on page 448 for more information.

Modified List Input

A more flexible version of list input, called modified list input, includes format

modifiers. The following format modifiers enable you to use list input to read

nonstandard data by using SAS informats:

• The & (ampersand) format modifier enables you to read character values that contain

one or more embedded blanks with list input and to specify a character informat.

SAS reads until it encounters two consecutive blanks, the defined length of the

variable, or the end of the input line, whichever comes first.

• The : (colon) format modifier enables you to use list input but also to specify an

informat after a variable name, whether character or numeric. SAS reads until it

encounters a blank column, the defined length of the variable (character only), or the

end of the data line, whichever comes first.

• The ~ (tilde) format modifier enables you to read and retain single quotation marks,

double quotation marks, and delimiters within character values.

The following is an example of the : and ~ format modifiers. You must use the DSD

option in the INFILE statement. Otherwise, the INPUT statement ignores the ~ format

modifier.

data scores;

infile datalines dsd;

input Name : $9. Score1-Score3 Team ~ $25. Div $;

datalines;

Smith,12,22,46,"Green Hornets, Atlanta",AAA

Mitchel,23,19,25,"High Volts, Portland",AAA

Jones,09,17,54,"Vulcans, Las Vegas",AA

;

446 Chapter 21 • Reading Raw Data