How to merge two observations in a single Dataset conditionally

[deleted_user]

Here is the exact problem:

I have a Data Set containing some observations (say 10).
I have to merge two observation if they are similar.

Now limitations are:
We can merge only consecutive observation and
In one step only one merge should happen on one dataset (i.e if obs# 1 and 2 are similar, and obs# 4 and 5 are similar, we can't merge them in single step), so basically as soon as one merging is done I should get out of the merging step, and again run the merging procedure on the new data set obtained by first merging.


The technique i tried to follow is: I look for rows which are more similar. Say 1 and 2 are more similar (have less "p-value") than 4 and 5. Then I merge 1 and 2 first, otherwise I merge 4 and 5 first. Problem is that some times "p-values" are similar for more than 1 pair of observations. Then I have to merge any 2 observations (1 pair) and again run the merging procedure on new dataset.

Dataset Contains following fields:
GoodCount, TotalCount, pValue

Here is the Code which I tried: (If you have a solution for my problem you can ignore the code and just tell me the solution, otherwise please tell me where i m wrong)

%macro generatePValues(InputDS);
/* some code here to regenerate p values every time we call this macro, works fine*/
%mend;

%macro merge(InputDs, minPVal);
proc sql noprint; select count(*) into:flag from &InputDS;

data tempDS; set &InputDS;
if &flag = _N_-1 then stop;
dummy1 = lag(goodCount) + goodCount;
dummy2 = lag(totalCount) + totalCount;
if (pVal-&minPVal)<.0001 then do;
goodCount = dummy1;
totalCount = dummy2;
call symput ( 'deleteRow', _N_-1);
call symput ( 'Flag', _N_);
end;
run;

Data &OutputDS; set tempDS;
if _N_ NE &deleteRow;
drop dummy1 dummy2;
run;

generatePValues(&OuputDS, AlphaLevel); /*refresh p-values*/
%mend merge;

%macro showResults(InputDS,OutputDS);
generatePValues(&InputDS);
proc sql noprint; select min(pVal) into:MinPVal from &InputDS;
proc sql noprint; select count(*) into:TotalObsThisTime from &InputDS;
proc sql noprint; select count(*)+1 into:TotalObsLastTime from &InputDS; /* merge only if the number of observation changed in last iteration of while loop*/
%do %while (&minPVal < &AlphaLevel and & TotalObs ~= &TotalObsLastTime);
%let TotalObsLastTime = TotalObsThisTime;
%merge(InputDS, &MinPVal, &OutputDS);
proc sql noprint; select count(*) into:temp1 from &OutputDS;
%let TotalObsThisTime = &temp1;
proc sql noprint; select min(pVal) into:temp2 from &OutputDS;
%let minPVal = &temp2;
%end;
%mend showResults;

Now when I call showresults()... the problem is it should stop in the next iteration after it reaches the merging logic abs(pValue -MinPVal)<.0001 first time.
but it doesn't.

[deleted_user]

remaining code.. after generatePvalues
generatePValues(&OuputDS, AlphaLevel); /*refresh p-values*/
%mend merge;

%macro showResults(InputDS,OutputDS);
generatePValues(&InputDS);
proc sql noprint; select min(pVal) into:MinPVal from &InputDS;
proc sql noprint; select count(*) into:TotalObsThisTime from &InputDS;
proc sql noprint; select count(*)+1 into:TotalObsLastTime from &InputDS; /* merge only if the number of observation changed in last iteration of while loop*/
%do %while (&minPVal < &AlphaLevel and & TotalObs ~= &TotalObsLastTime);
%let TotalObsLastTime = TotalObsThisTime;
%merge(InputDS, &MinPVal, &OutputDS);
proc sql noprint; select count(*) into:temp1 from &OutputDS;
%let TotalObsThisTime = &temp1;
proc sql noprint; select min(pVal) into:temp2 from &OutputDS;
%let minPVal = &temp2;
%end;
%mend showResults;

Now when I call showresults()... the problem is it should stop in the next iteration after it reaches the merging logic abs(pValue -MinPVal)<.0001 first time.
but it doesn't.

[GertNissen]

I'm not sure I understand your challenge - can you perhaps provide some 'before' and 'after' sample data.

Is it something like this your are trying ?[pre]
data input;
input value1 value2;
datalines;
1.1 1
1.2 2
2.0 3
3.1 4
3.2 5
1.3 6
4.0 7
;run;



data dist;
set input;
retain key 0;
prev_val = lag1(value1);
if _n_ = 1 then key = 1;
else if prev_val*0.9 <= value1 <= prev_val*1.1 then;
else key+1;
run;
[/pre]In this sample code each record gets a (new) surrogate key based on if the value (current record) is within a range (based on the previous record). After this you can use the new key, to merge, summarize etc. your data.