topic Re: proc sort in SAS Programming

proc sort

swayto — Wed, 03 Apr 2019 06:56:59 GMT

data awards;
input Fname$ Points Month;
datalines;
Amy 2 4
Amy 1 7
Gerard 3 3
Wang 3 3
Wang 1 12
Wang 1 8
;
proc sort data=awards;
by descending fname points;
run;
Output as
Wang 1 12
Wang 1 8
............
Why ( Wang 1 12 )but not (Wang 1 😎 as the begining record?

Re: proc sort

PeterClemmensen — Wed, 03 Apr 2019 07:20:38 GMT

Because you do not sort by month. If you sort by Month also, Wang 1 8 is the first row 🙂

proc sort data=awards;
by descending fname points Month;
run;

Re: proc sort

andreas_lds — Wed, 03 Apr 2019 07:24:56 GMT

While sorting sas maintains the original order. You sort by Fname and Point, not by month.

Re: proc sort

zahir — Wed, 03 Apr 2019 07:25:43 GMT

The variable "month" is not specified as BY variable at PROC SORT, this is why SAS will keep the original data arrangement for not specified variables.

It can be resolved by following way to get the observation (Wang 1 😎 before (Wang 1 12);

proc sort data=awards;
by descending fname points month;
run;

Re: proc sort

ballardw — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 15:43:55 GMT

Input order can affect results for variables NOT on the by statement. Consider the result for :

data awards;
input Fname$ Points Month;
datalines;
Wang 1 8
Amy 2 4
Amy 1 7
Gerard 3 3
Wang 3 3
Wang 1 12
;
proc sort data=awards;
by descending fname points;
run;