https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Programming/what-is-declarative-statement-and-excutable-statement/m-p/305333#M65120 <P>A declarative statement is one that is acted upon during data step compilation.</P> <P>&nbsp;</P> <P>Examples:</P> <P>format</P> <P>length</P> <P>retain</P> <P>attrib</P> <P>by</P> <P>&nbsp;</P> <P>Their placement within the data step is more or less without effect.</P> <P>&nbsp;</P> <P>Other statements are executable and will cause action during data step execution.</P> <P>&nbsp;</P> <P>The set statement somehow falls into both categories; for one, it causes the compiler to read the structure from the dataset(s) and put variables into the PDV; OTOH, it also marks the place within the data step where a read from the dataset(s) happens.</P> <P>The declarative element with thise statement is the fact that the dataset(s) cannot change during data step execution.</P> <P>&nbsp;</P> <P>Infiles and outfiles (infile and file statements) can change dynamically during execution.</P> Tue, 18 Oct 2016 11:06:10 GMT Kurt_Bremser 2016-10-18T11:06:10Z https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Programming/what-is-declarative-statement-and-excutable-statement/m-p/305329#M65119 <P>declarative statements are complied time statement then will they execute in the execution phase?</P> Thu, 20 Oct 2016 14:22:26 GMT https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Programming/what-is-declarative-statement-and-excutable-statement/m-p/305329#M65119 balu_g 2016-10-20T14:22:26Z https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Programming/what-is-declarative-statement-and-excutable-statement/m-p/305333#M65120 <P>A declarative statement is one that is acted upon during data step compilation.</P> <P>&nbsp;</P> <P>Examples:</P> <P>format</P> <P>length</P> <P>retain</P> <P>attrib</P> <P>by</P> <P>&nbsp;</P> <P>Their placement within the data step is more or less without effect.</P> <P>&nbsp;</P> <P>Other statements are executable and will cause action during data step execution.</P> <P>&nbsp;</P> <P>The set statement somehow falls into both categories; for one, it causes the compiler to read the structure from the dataset(s) and put variables into the PDV; OTOH, it also marks the place within the data step where a read from the dataset(s) happens.</P> <P>The declarative element with thise statement is the fact that the dataset(s) cannot change during data step execution.</P> <P>&nbsp;</P> <P>Infiles and outfiles (infile and file statements) can change dynamically during execution.</P> Tue, 18 Oct 2016 11:06:10 GMT https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Programming/what-is-declarative-statement-and-excutable-statement/m-p/305333#M65120 Kurt_Bremser 2016-10-18T11:06:10Z https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Programming/what-is-declarative-statement-and-excutable-statement/m-p/305951#M65350 <P>declarative statements means they will execute in the complie time . they wont execute in execution time. is that correct?</P> Thu, 20 Oct 2016 14:19:29 GMT https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Programming/what-is-declarative-statement-and-excutable-statement/m-p/305951#M65350 balu_g 2016-10-20T14:19:29Z