topic Re: Advanced Certification Sample Question - Array in SAS Procedures

Advanced Certification Sample Question - Array

agwah — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 21:28:04 GMT

Hi, I am soon taking the Advanced Programmer exam but am stuck on one of the sample questions:

Write a SAS program that will:
• Create output data set work.ACT01 using sashelp.pricedata as input.
• Use an array to increase the values of the price1 through price17 variables by 10%.

Arrays and do loops would be used in the program.

I keep getting the subscript out of range error with this attempt:

data work.ACT01;
set sashelp.pricedata;
array original {17} price1-price17;

do i=1 - 17;
original{i} = original{i}*1.1;

end;

run;

Re: Advanced Certification Sample Question - Array

ballardw — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 21:30:57 GMT

do i = 1 to 17;

The - would be taken as subtraction. So Do i= -16 would be the first value of i and your array is not defined to have negative indices.

If you don't believe me place a PUT i; statement inside the do loop.

Re: Advanced Certification Sample Question - Array

agwah — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 21:45:52 GMT

Oh wow, that was driving me crazy for a while. Thank you!

Re: Advanced Certification Sample Question - Array

Chizoba — Sun, 02 May 2021 06:45:16 GMT

Hi, below is my solution. I hope it helps.

DATA work.ACT01 (drop=i);
SET sashelp.pricedata end=lastrow;
ARRAY prc[17] price1-price17;
ARRAY prc_incr[17] ;
do i=1 to 17;
prc_incr[i] = prc[i]*1.1;
end;
run;

#You can do a proc print to check the first 10 observations.
proc print data=work.ACT01 (obs=10); run;

Re: Advanced Certification Sample Question - Array

Tom — Sun, 02 May 2021 15:33:52 GMT

When answering ambiguous questions on exams it is best to add text that clarifies how you have interpreted the question.

Your interpretations seems to be that you want to create a new array of variables to hold the increased values.

Another valid interpretation is that they want you to update the existing variables' values.

* Assuming the request is to update the existing variables ;
DATA work.ACT01  ;
  SET sashelp.pricedata ;
  ARRAY price[17] ;
  do i=1 to 17;
     price[i] = price[i]*1.1;
  end;
  drop i;
run;

Re: Advanced Certification Sample Question - Array

Chizoba — Sun, 02 May 2021 21:49:42 GMT

Thanks! I will definitely take note of this (incorporating texts for clarification) in subsequent exams.

Re: Advanced Certification Sample Question - Array

Smartrp21 — Mon, 19 Jul 2021 03:03:43 GMT

data test;
set sashelp.pricedata;
array oldprice[17] price1-price17;
array newprice[17] price1-price17;
do i=1 to 17;
newprice[i]=oldprice[i]*1.1;
end;
drop i;
run;