https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Procedures/What-does-pos-for-SAS-variables-exactly-mean/m-p/24364#M5513 How the position is determined is described in excruciating detail in the SAS documentation for the "SAS Data Files" under base SAS. Tue, 28 Apr 2009 19:08:41 GMT Doc_Duke 2009-04-28T19:08:41Z https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Procedures/What-does-pos-for-SAS-variables-exactly-mean/m-p/24359#M5508 What does 'pos' for SAS variables exactly mean? Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:08:05 GMT https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Procedures/What-does-pos-for-SAS-variables-exactly-mean/m-p/24359#M5508 osho 2009-04-28T15:08:05Z https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Procedures/What-does-pos-for-SAS-variables-exactly-mean/m-p/24360#M5509 please provide more context. Where are you seeing this? Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:27:09 GMT https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Procedures/What-does-pos-for-SAS-variables-exactly-mean/m-p/24360#M5509 Doc_Duke 2009-04-28T15:27:09Z https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Procedures/What-does-pos-for-SAS-variables-exactly-mean/m-p/24361#M5510 When I do proc contents, it gives me a list of variables with type, length, format, informat and pos. What is this pos? Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:11:58 GMT https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Procedures/What-does-pos-for-SAS-variables-exactly-mean/m-p/24361#M5510 osho 2009-04-28T17:11:58Z https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Procedures/What-does-pos-for-SAS-variables-exactly-mean/m-p/24362#M5511 Position in the SAS file. Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:35:43 GMT https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Procedures/What-does-pos-for-SAS-variables-exactly-mean/m-p/24362#M5511 sbb 2009-04-28T18:35:43Z https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Procedures/What-does-pos-for-SAS-variables-exactly-mean/m-p/24363#M5512 Is the pos determined by SAS once I define the variables?<BR /> or do I have to explicity define pos every time I introduce a variable?<BR /> Thanks Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:55:30 GMT https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Procedures/What-does-pos-for-SAS-variables-exactly-mean/m-p/24363#M5512 osho 2009-04-28T18:55:30Z https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Procedures/What-does-pos-for-SAS-variables-exactly-mean/m-p/24364#M5513 How the position is determined is described in excruciating detail in the SAS documentation for the "SAS Data Files" under base SAS. Tue, 28 Apr 2009 19:08:41 GMT https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Procedures/What-does-pos-for-SAS-variables-exactly-mean/m-p/24364#M5513 Doc_Duke 2009-04-28T19:08:41Z