Documentation: OUTPUT statement in data step vs PROC's

[Nietzsche]

Hi I am trying to learn how to read the SAS documentation.

I am reading the output statement on SAS documentation page, on the top it says that this statement is valid in DATA step. 

but in programming 1 tutorial, it is in PROC MEANS, so does that mean the statement in the documentation that OUTPUT is valid in DATA step is no exhaustive or complete? There are other places OUTPUT statement can be used?

[PaigeMiller]

The OUTPUT statement in a DATA step does DATA step things. The documentation for the DATA step version of the OUTPUT statement is probably exhaustive and complete for what the OUTPUT statement does in a DATA step.

The OUTPUT statement in a PROC has a totally different meaning, which is usually specific to each PROC. You would need to read the PROC MEANS documentation to see what OUTPUT does in PROC MEANS.

[Tom · Accepted solution]

Make sure you look at the documentation for the right OUTPUT statement.

Here are just a few that appear with a google search: https://www.google.com/search?q=%40sas.com+output+statement

OUTPUT Statement - SAS Help Center

https://documentation.sas.com › statug_hpqtr_syntax07

Variables that you name in an ID statement are also copied from the input data set to the output data set. keyword <=name>. specifies the statistics to include ...

OUTPUT Statement - SAS Help Center
https://documentation.sas.com › doc › statug › statug_h...
The OUTPUT statement creates a data set that contains predicted values and residual diagnostics, computed after fitting the model. By default, all variables ...

OUTPUT Statement - SAS Help Center
https://documentation.sas.com › statug_pls_syntax07
You use the OUTPUT statement to specify a data set to receive quantities that can be computed for every input observation, such as extracted factors and ...

OUTPUT Statement - SAS Help Center

https://documentation.sas.com › doc › pgmsascdc › statug

If you use multiple OUTPUT statements, then PROC SURVEYIMPUTE uses only the first OUTPUT statement and ignores the rest. The OUTPUT OUT= data set contains all ...

[Kurt_Bremser]

When you have the documentation of the OUTPUT statement in a data step open, scroll up in the navigation pane, open "Base SAS Procedures", then "Base SAS Procedures Guide", then "Procedures". There you'll find the MEANS Procedure, where the use of the procedure-specific OUTPUT statement is explained.

SAS statements with identical spelling can appear in different places, where they have (sometimes slightly, sometimes radically) different functions.

[Nietzsche]

so what the difference between sas programming and sas base procedure? Why does SAS institute it so confusing?

Python is python, R is R. 

Why is SAS Base, SAS programming, SAS procedure etc? It is so confusing.

[Kurt_Bremser]

The SAS system has multiple languages.

The DATA step language is Turing-complete.

There is SQL, in two flavors (the SQL procedure, and the more modern FEDSQL procedure).

And all the procedures have their own "mini-language", as the procedures are prefabricated modules, where the "language" is just a way to feed parameters into the module.

Keep in mind that SAS is WAY more powerful than R, as it covers the whole analytical process, from ETL to Statistics to Reporting.

[PaigeMiller]

so what the difference between sas programming and sas base procedure?

SAS programming is simply code you write in SAS. SAS Base (maybe you mean "Base SAS") is a part of the SAS software that you have to purchase to use SAS; you can choose to purchase additional parts of the SAS language. Some people colloquially refer to Base SAS as one of the many interfaces through which you can create and execute SAS code.

Python is python, R is R. 

SAS does not have to have the same features or language design as other software.