Step-by-Step Programming with Base SAS 9.4

Creating Multiple Observations from a Single Record

Using the Double Trailing @ Line-Hold Specifier

Sometimes you might need to create multiple observations from a single record of raw data. One way to tell SAS how to read such a record is to use the other line-hold specifier, the double trailing at-sign (@@ or “double trailing @”). The double trailing @ not only prevents SAS from reading a new record into the input buffer when a new INPUT statement is encountered. It also prevents the record from being released when the program returns to the top of the DATA step. (Remember that the trailing @ does not hold a record in the input buffer across iterations of the DATA step.)

For example, this DATA step uses the double trailing @ in the INPUT ...