Retain

[bollibompa]

I think I am doing something wrong with the retain statement.

I hope someone can guide me.

I have a table like this and I want to carry forward the last observed date

ID     date

1     01jan2013

1     .

1     .

1     12mar2013

1     .

1     .

2     07feb2013

2     .

2     .

2     25apr2013

2     .

2.     .

The result should look like this:

ID     date

1     01jan2013

1     01jan2013

1     01jan2013

1     12mar2013

1     12mar2013

1     12mar2013

2     07feb2013

2     07feb2013

2     07feb2013

2     25apr2013

2     25apr2013

2.     25apr2013

Thanks

Thomas

[data_null__]

You could use the update trick.  Vertical coalesce.

data have;
   input ID  date :date.;
   format date date9.;
   cards;
1     01jan2013
1     .
1     .
1     12mar2013
1     .
1     .
2     07feb2013
2     .
2     .
2     25apr2013
2     .
2.     .
;;;;
   run;
data locf;
   update have(obs=0) have;
   by id;
   output;
   run;
proc print;
   run;

Obs    ID         date

  1     1    01JAN2013
  2     1    01JAN2013
  3     1    01JAN2013
  4     1    12MAR2013
  5     1    12MAR2013
  6     1    12MAR2013
  7     2    07FEB2013
  8     2    07FEB2013
  9     2    07FEB2013
10     2    25APR2013
11     2    25APR2013
12     2    25APR2013

[bollibompa]

Thanks!

Works fine!

Just curious, would it be possible to do the same operation with retain? Just trying to understand the retain statement

/Thomas

[RW9]

Hi,

data want (drop=lstdate);

  set have;

  retain lstdate;

  if date ne . then lstdate=date;

  else date=lstdate;

run;

[Ksharp]

data have;
   input ID  date :date.; 
   format date date9.; 
   cards; 
1     01jan2013
1     .
1     .
1     12mar2013
1     .
1     .
2     07feb2013
2     .
2     .
2     25apr2013
2     .
2.     .
;;;;
   run; 
data want(drop=d);
 set have(rename=(date=d));
 by id;
 retain date;
 if first.id or not missing(d) then date=d;
 format date date9.;
run;

Xia Keshan

[data_null__]

bollibompa wrote:


Just curious, would it be possible to do the same operation with retain? Just trying to understand the retain statement

/Thomas

As you can see from the other replies it NOT possible to do Vertical Coalesce with retain.