Help with a data step -

[iiibbb]

I have two data sets.  One is automatically generated with a time stamp every second.  The other is field notes of the time where a load is observed to begin, thus establishing a control point.  I want to assign all points after that control point its load number until the next control point.

can anyone suggest a simple way to do this?

in essence I need the following

seconds	control point	load number
12566	0	.
12567	0	.
12568	0	.
12569	1	1
12570	0	.
12571	0	.
12572	0	.
12573	0	.
12574	0	.
12575	0	.
12576	0	.
12577	0	.
12578	0	.
12579	0	.
12580	0	.
12581	0	.
12582	1	2
12583	0	.
12584	0	.
12585	0	.
12586	0	.
12587	0	.
12588	0	.

to become this

seconds	control point	load number
12566	0	.
12567	0	.
12568	0	.
12569	1	1
12570	0	1
12571	0	1
12572	0	1
12573	0	1
12574	0	1
12575	0	1
12576	0	1
12577	0	1
12578	0	1
12579	0	1
12580	0	1
12581	0	1
12582	1	2
12583	0	2
12584	0	2
12585	0	2
12586	0	2
12587	0	2
12588	0	2

[Reeza]

retain control_point 0;

if load_number ne . then control_point=load_number;

[iiibbb]

And thank you for that as well... I'll try it.

[iiibbb · Accepted solution]

Aha!

data b (drop=loadx);

     set a;

     retain loadx;

     if not missing(load) then loadx = load;

     load = loadx;

run;

maybe someone can explain what "(drop=loadx)" is doing

that is not my common usage of "retain" which I've always used to reorder columns.

[Reeza]

drops it from the final data set.