Count distinct values in one column

[Yves_Boonen]

I have a table in SAS which contains 3 variables:

- dossier_handler (last name first name)

- r_creation_date (ddmmmyyyy)

- distributionoption (7 possible options containing spaces and words)

I would like to count how many of each distributionoption I can find in the table.

This is how the table could look like:

dossier_manager	r_creation_date	distributionoption
NameA	Date1	Option A
NameA	Date2	Option B
NameB	Date3	Option A
NameC	Date4	Option C
NameC	Date5	Option F
NameC	Date6	Option D
NameD	Date7	Option A
NameD	Date8	Option E
NameE	Date9	Option G
NameF	Date10	Option G

This is how my final result should look like:

distributionoption	count
Option A	755
Option B	58
Option C	142
Option D	228
Option E	71
Option F	6
Option G	565

I have tried count and distinct. I have tried creating a variable for each option and then using a where ("this option") this option +1. Neither of these options appear to be working.

Count and distinct code:

proc sort data=tables.focus;
by verdelingsoptie;
run;

proc sql;
create table tables.focus_ as
select count(distinct verdelingsoptie)
from tables.focus
;
quit;

Where (X=?) Y+1 code:

data tables.focus;
set tables.focus_;
by verdelingsoptie;

retain
  Fast_Track_1_erfgenaam
  Fast_Track_Leefgeld
  Fast_Track_Saldo
  Fast_Track_Sterkmaking
  Manuele_verdeelopdracht_kantoor
  Verdeling_notaris
  Verdeling_standaard
;

if first.verdelingsoptie
then do;
  Fast_Track_1_erfgenaam=0;
  Fast_Track_Leefgeld=0;
  Fast_Track_Saldo=0;
  Fast_Track_Sterkmaking=0;
  Manuele_verdeelopdracht_kantoor=0;
  Verdeling_notaris=0;
  Verdeling_standaard=0;
end;

select (verdelignsoptie);

when ('Fast Track 1 erfgenaam') Fast_Track_1_erfgenaam +1;
when ('Fast Track Leefgeld') Fast_Track_Leefgeld +1;
when ('Fast Track Saldo') Fast_Track_Saldo +1;
when ('Fast Track Sterkmaking') Fast_Track_Sterkmaking +1;
when ('Manuele verdeelopdracht kantoor') Manuele_verdeelopdracht_kantoor +1;
when ('Verdeling notaris') Verdeling_notaris +1;
when ('Verdeling standaard') Verdeling_standaard +1;

end;

if last.verdelingsoptie then output;
keep Fast_Track_1_erfgenaam Fast_Track_Leefgeld Fast_Track_Saldo Fast_Track_Sterkmaking Manuele_verdeelopdracht_kantoor Verdeling_notaris Verdeling_standaard;
run;

The count/distinct script results in a table that says there are 7 distributionoptions.

The where (X=?) Y+1 results in some errors:

NOTE: Character values have been converted to numeric values at the places given by:
      (Line):(Column).
      528:7   529:7   530:7   531:7   532:7   533:7   534:7
NOTE: Variable verdelignsoptie is uninitialized.
NOTE: Variable first.verdelingsoptie is uninitialized.
NOTE: Variable last.verdelingsoptie is uninitialized.
NOTE: Invalid numeric data, 'Fast Track 1 erfgenaam' , at line 528 column 7.
_TEMG002=455 Fast_Track_1_erfgenaam=1 Fast_Track_Leefgeld=. Fast_Track_Saldo=.
Fast_Track_Sterkmaking=. Manuele_verdeelopdracht_kantoor=. Verdeling_notaris=.
Verdeling_standaard=. first.verdelingsoptie=0 verdelignsoptie=. last.verdelingsoptie=0 _ERROR_=1
_N_=1
NOTE: There were 1 observations read from the data set TABLES.FOCUS_.
NOTE: The data set TABLES.FOCUS has 0 observations and 7 variables.
NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):
      real time           0.04 seconds
      cpu time            0.03 seconds

[Yves_Boonen]

In SQL I would do something like this:

select distributionoptions, count (*)

from tables.focus

group by distributionoptions

save as tables.focus_

[RW9]

Hi,

For your first code:

proc sql;
  create table TABLES.FOCUS_ as
  select  count(*) as COUNT
  from    TABLES.FOCUS
  group by DISTRIBUTIONOPTION;
quit;

Should work fine.  I note the code you post, doesn't match the names given in the description, so I used the description variable names.  In your second code, you have:

by verdelingsoptie;

Which is not in that dataset, which is why you have problems.  Could it be that you meant to use focus dataset rather than focus_?  Although, in the description again, that variable is not mentioned - columns are: 

dossier_manager

r_creation_date

distributionoption

[Yves_Boonen]

The table I start from is called "focus" in my "tables" library (tables.focus).

I want to perform the count on the variable "verdelingsoptie" (distributionoption in English).

After the count is complete, I want to store the new data in a table called "focus_" in my "tables" library (tables.focus_).

If I use your suggestion, which I tried also, this is the result:

proc sql;
create table tables.focus_ as
select count(*) as count
from tables.focus
order by verdelingsoptie
;
quit;

Result:

count
455
455
455
455
455
455
455
455
455
455

And that for 455 rows, because that's how many rows of data "tables.focus" contains.

[RW9 · Accepted solution]

Sorry, you haven't used my code.  The key part of the SQL is the group by:

proc sql;
  create table TABLES.FOCUS_ as
  select  VERDELINGSOPTIE,        /* <= added, as we are grouping by */
          count(*) as COUNT
  from    TABLES.FOCUS
  group by VERDELINGSOPTIE;   /*  <--- this part here is important! */
quit;

[Yves_Boonen]

Mondays cause me to be like "order by" = "group by". After changing that, it did work like you said. Thanks a dozen! 🙂

[Kurt_Bremser]

s/order by/group by/

😉