topic Re: random number in SAS Enterprise Guide

random number

deleted_user — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 14:39:39 GMT

Hi
I got 10 data sets which is having each 60000 obs. so i nees to get 100 random obs from each set . can you please let me know any one .

I got idea to use RANUNI but dont know how

thx

Re: random number

deleted_user — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 14:47:19 GMT

Try PROC SURVEYSELECT (with method=SRS) in order to select a simple random sample of size N.

Re: random number

deleted_user — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 15:40:13 GMT

Proc SurveySelect is not part of Base SAS, so you may not have it available to you.

Within SAS EG under Data is "Random Sample".

If coding here's an idea:

%macro select(inset,outset,size);

Data &outset;
set &inset nobs=N;
retain criteria count fudge 0;

if _n_ = 1 then criteria = N/&size;

if ranuni(-1) + fudge > criteria then do;
if count < 100 then do;
output;
count+1;
fudge+criteria;
end;
end;

drop criteria count fudge;
run;
quit;

%mend;

By increasing fudge, the probability of selecting a record increases, so that there is a greater change of selecting a particular record.
The downside to this method is that the actual probability distribution is not uniform. If fudge were not used, and "uniformity" maintained, then in a single pass through the dataset, you might not get all "size = 100" records/observations.

An alternative would be to use the POINT= set option

data &outset;
retain count 0;
I = ranuni(-1) * N;
set &inset NOBS=N POINT=I;
count+1;
if count = &size then stop;
drop count;
run;
quit;

This is probably a better method, and can also be encased in the above macro.

Re: random number

deleted_user — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 15:43:20 GMT

Another idea, that may work better:

%macro select(inset,outset,size);

data &outset;

retain count 0;
drop count;

I = ranuni(-1) * N;
set &inset NOBS=N POINT=I;

count+1;
if count = &size then stop;

run;
quit;

%mend;

Re: random number

advoss — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 17:32:16 GMT

Chuck, your approach doesn't guarantee that a row could be selected multiple times, does it?

Re: random number

deleted_user — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 21:42:03 GMT

Yes, you are correct for the POINT= method. There would need to be some way to check that that observation hadn't been used already.

Also, the calculation for I isn't quite right either since it doesn't guarantee an integer value.

I = round(ranuni(-1) * N) is an easy solution to the integer problem.

Solving the other problem takes a bit more work.
One way would be to use an array to keep a list of consumed records, and then use a linear search through the array to determine if the observation has been read before or not.

Another way to get a random subset of observations would require multiple passes through the dataset.

data dummy;
set &inset;
selection_key = ranuni(-1);
run;

proc sort data=dummy; by selection_key;

data &outset;
set dummy (obs=&size);
drop selection_key;
run;

But, this is still not perfectly generic, as none of the ideas are because they introduce at least one variable that may already be defined within the &inset dataset. So, no matter what is done, care must be taken, and some creativity on the part of the programmer.