Extracting data for certain variables from 7bdat dataset

[beleeve]

Using SASstudio and I'm unsure how to extract data from certain variables so I can run uni/bivariate analyses on it. I've never worked with such a large file but it was a 7bdat file I imported to SASStudio and I can't figure out how to create a code that will run only using certain selected variables. 

[ballardw · Accepted solution]

Certain variables? Most of the analysis procedures you would use either a VAR statement.

Proc univariate data=yourdatsetname;
   var thisvar thatvar othervarname; /* list the variables of interest*/
run;

It sort of depends what type of bivariate analysis you intend. Just counts with Proc Freq you place an * between two variables or groups of variables to do bivariate:

proc freq data=yourdataset;
   tables (thisvar thatvar anothervar)*(somevar someothervar somethingelse);
run;

for example would pair each of the variables in the first set of parentheses with each in the second set.

[beleeve]

Is the datasetname referring to the location of the 7bdat file in SAS?

[Kurt_Bremser]

To use SAS datasets in program steps, you have two ways:.

• have a library defined for the directory where the file resides (LIBNAME statement) and use the library.dataset notation to address it. If you omit the library, the file is assumed to be in the temporary library WORK. The dataset name corresponds to the filename without the .sas7bdat extension.
  This is the preferred method.
• or you use the fully qualified pathname of the file, enclosed in quotes.

[Kurt_Bremser]

The statistical procedures have statements in which you define the variables to use, e.g. the UNIVARIATE procedure.