SAS data _null_ file question about @@

[GeorgeSAS]

Hello all,

Would  anyone can please give me an example of how to using '@@' in a data _null_; file  example?

Thanks!

[FreelanceReinh]

Hello @GeorgeSAS,

The double trailing @ line-hold specifier is mostly used with an INPUT statement, as in Example 4 of the documentation (please see explanations there). If you insist on an example with data _null_ (and a FILE statement?), here's an adapted version:

data _null_;
file print;
input name $ age @@;
put name age;
datalines;
John 13 Monica 12 Sue 15 Stephen 10
Marc 22 Lily 17
;

Line-hold specifiers can also be used with a PUT statement. In this case, however, the single and double trailing @ are equivalent, so that writing "@@" is unnecessary (again, please see documentation, esp. example 5 there). Here is another example (including a FILE statement):

data _null_;
file print;
length c $11;
do c='first', 'line', 'second', 'line', repeat('-',10);
  put c @;
  if c='line' then put;
end;
run;

The second PUT statement (called "null PUT statement" in the documentation) releases the output line so that the intended line breaks occur.