Array Puzzle

[Davanden]

I have two variables, X and Y, plus another variable S. X and Y are integers in the range 1-7. S is a character variable that takes the value '1' and some others. I want to create a series of flags, A1-A4, according to these rules.

• IF S='1', set the flag corresponding to the larger of X and Y, subject to the maximum of 4. For example, if X=1 and Y=2, then set A2 = 1, leaving the other flags equal to zero. If X=2 and Y=6, set A4=1, etc.
• IF S is anything else, set the flag corresponding to Y, with the same maximum (ignore X entirely).

I first wrote this:

DATA Test;
	SET Source;
	ARRAY A[4] A1-A4 (0 0 0 0);
	IF S = '1' THEN
		A[MIN(4,MAX(X,Y))] = 1;
	ELSE
		A[MIN(4,Y)] = 1;
RUN;

As I read that, it should change only one of the A1-A4 flags for each record. But what I find is that ALL of the values of A1-A4 get set to 1.

If I do this,

DATA Test;
	SET Source;
	A1 = 0;
	A2 = 0;
	A3 = 0;
	A4 = 0;
	ARRAY A[4] A1-A4;
	IF S = '1' THEN
		A[MIN(4,MAX(X,Y))] = 1;
	ELSE
		A[MIN(4,Y)] = 1;
RUN;

I get what I want. What is the difference?

[data_null__ · Accepted solution]

The inital values for the array implies RETAIN of those variables.

[Davanden]

Thanks to all who replied.  I seldom use the ability to intialize arrays, and I see that there were implications of doing that which I didn't realize.

Thanks also to those who showed me how to make the code more compact.  Those are clever uses of SAS functions.  I'm not sure if I will use them.  I fear that a few years from now, someone (possibly me) will look at the code and say, "What the heck does that do?"  I don't want my code to be more clever than my ability to understand it!

--Dav

[ChrisNZ]

ARRAY A[4] A1-A4 (0 0 0 0);

initialises the values only once: when the array is created.

There are 2 cases when array values are not reset in the data step loop: when they are temporary, and when their values are initialised.

[RW9]

If it helps, you can shrink your if clauses:

data source;
  s="1"; x=3; y=3; output;
  s="2"; x=1; y=6; output;
run;
data test;
  set source; 
  array a[4] (0 0 0 0);
  a[min(4,max(x,y))]=ifn(s='1',1,0);
run;

[ChrisNZ]

Or a[min(4,max(x,y))]=(s='1');

[FreelanceReinh]

Side note: The specifiction of an initial value for one array variable implies RETAIN for all variables of the array, including those which are not initialized.