I have the following dataset with following variables:
ID (Character) test (character) date (character) result (numeric)
ID            test      date                  result
101          run     15JUL1978         1
101          run     18JUL1976         1 
101          run     17JUL1978         2
101          run     20JUL1976         4
101          case   15OCT2014       5
101          case   17NOV2016       4
101          case   15DEC2017        .
102          rub      28MAR2017      7
102          rub      29MAR              8
102          rub      APR2017           5
need retian statement used or proc sql to create a new variable "MAXRESULT" to 
retain the maxmimum vaue from the presvois itration and compare with the present one
and keep the maximum one and
NEED A RESULT Datset LIKE AS BELOW. Also need to pay attention to the incomplete date 
and missing result.
ID    test   date                      result    MAXRESULT
101  run   15JUL1978             1                 1
101  run    17JUL1978            2                 2 
101  run    18JUL1976            1                 2
101  run    20JUL1976            4                 4
101  case  15OCT2014           5                5
101  case  17NOV2016           4                 5
101  case  15DEC2017            .                 5
102  rub    28MAR2017           7                 7
102  rub    29MAR                   8                 8 (Incomplete Date)
102  rub    APR2017                5                 8 (Incomplete Date)
Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.
How do you want to treat incomplete dates? Delete them? Assign a day (e.g. 1 15 or end of month) if missing day? What about for missing year?
Art, CEO, AnalystFinder.com
Retain statement works for me.
data want;
	set have;
	retain MAXRESULT;
	if _n_ = 1 then MAXRESULT=result;
	if result > MAXRESULT then MAXRESULT = result;
run;data have;
input  (ID            test      date) (:$10.)                  result;
datalines;
101          run     15JUL1978         1
101          run     18JUL1976         1 
101          run     17JUL1978         2
101          run     20JUL1976         4
101          case   15OCT2014       5
101          case   17NOV2016       4
101          case   15DEC2017        .
102          rub      28MAR2017      7
102          rub      29MAR              8
102          rub      APR2017           5
;
data want;
set have;  
by id;
retain 	max_result;
if first.id then call missing(max_result);
max_result=max(max_result,result);
run;Sorry, Actually my typing had some errors and the new problem should as below (there is some changes), can you please check it: I have the following dataset with following variables: ID (Character) test (character) date (character) result (numeric) ID test date result 101 run 15JUL1978 1 101 run 15JUL1978 2 101 run 15JUL1978 1 101 run 18JUL1976 1 101 run 18JUL1976 1 101 run 18JUL1976 1 101 case 15OCT2014 5 101 case 15OCT2014 5 101 case 15DEC2017 . 102 rub 28MAR2017 7 102 rub 28MAR2017 6 102 rub 29MAR 8 102 rub APR2017 5 need retian statement used or proc sql to create a new variable "MAXRESULT" to retain the maxmimum value (by ID test date( meaning per time point) from the presvois itration and compare with the present one and keep the maximum one and NEED A RESULT Datset LIKE AS BELOW. Also need to pay attention to the incomplete date and missing result. ID test date result MAXRESULT 101 run 15JUL1978 1 1 101 run 15JUL1978 2 2 101 run 15JUL1978 1 2 101 run 18JUL1976 1 1 101 run 18JUL1976 1 1 101 run 18JUL1976 1 1 101 case 15OCT2014 5 5 101 case 15OCT2014 5 5 101 case 15DEC2017 . . 102 rub 28MAR2017 7 7 102 rub 28MAR2017 6 7 102 rub 29MAR 8 8 102 rub APR2017 5 5 Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.
data have;
input  (ID            test      date) (:$10.)                  result;
datalines;
101      run    15JUL1978           1
101      run    15JUL1978           2
101      run    15JUL1978           1
101      run    18JUL1976           1 
101      run    18JUL1976           1 
101      run    18JUL1976           1 
101      case   15OCT2014         5
101      case   15OCT2014         5
101      case   15DEC2017          .
102      rub     28MAR2017         7
102      rub     28MAR2017         6          
102      rub     29MAR                8
102      rub     APR2017             5
;
data want;
set have;  
by id date notsorted;
retain 	max_result;
if first.date then call missing(max_result);
max_result=ifn(missing(result), ., max(max_result,result));
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