Generate data set with many variables with random numbers as observations.

[MikeBurton]

I want to generate a data set from scratch that has j number of variables (n=10) and i number of observations (n=100) with random numbers populating each variable. I have attempted to run do loops, but I am not sure how to incorporate randgen into the code to get random observations.

If anyone can help point me in the right direction I'd appreciate it!

[Reeza]

http://blogs.sas.com/content/iml/2011/08/24/how-to-generate-random-numbers-in-sas.html

Are you intending to work in IML or Base?

[MikeBurton]

Base

[Reeza]

I'm fairly sure that RANDGEN is an IML function not base.

In Base, you can use RAND.

data want;
    array myRand(10);

    do nrows=1 to 100;
         do nvars=1 to dim(myRand);
             myRand(i) = rand('normal', 50, 2);
         end;
         output;
    end;
run;

[MikeBurton]

I got an error with that code:

 ERROR: Array subscript out of range at line 6 column 14.

[ballardw]

---

@MikeBurton wrote:

I got an error with that code:

 ERROR: Array subscript out of range at line 6 column 14.

---

An error message without code doesn't help much. Post the log with the code and error into a code box opened with the forum {i} menu icon so we have chance of finding column 14. The forum will reformat text in the main message window.

[MikeBurton]

it was from the code Reeza posted above:

data want;
    array myRand(10);

    do nrows=1 to 100;
         do nvars=1 to dim(myRand);
             myRand(i) = rand('normal', 50, 2);
         end;
         output;
    end;
run;

Error from log:

1    data want;
2        array myRand(10);
3
4        do nrows=1 to 100;
5             do nvars=1 to dim(myRand);
6                 myRand(i) = rand('normal', 50, 2);
7             end;
8             output;
9        end;
10   run;

NOTE: Variable i is uninitialized.
ERROR: Array subscript out of range at line 6 column 14.
myRand1=. myRand2=. myRand3=. myRand4=. myRand5=. myRand6=. myRand7=. myRand8=. myRand9=.
myRand10=. nrows=1 nvars=1 i=. _ERROR_=1 _N_=1
NOTE: The SAS System stopped processing this step because of errors.
WARNING: The data set WORK.WANT may be incomplete.  When this step was stopped there were 0
         observations and 13 variables.
NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):
      real time           0.19 seconds
      cpu time            0.01 seconds

[Reeza]

i should be Nvar

[MikeBurton]

yes, that works now - exactly what I needed. Thanks Reeza