Should view stand before or after option in datastep?

[Phil_NZ]

Hi all SAS users,

I am starting using view, however, I read a couple of documents but can not find whether View should stand before or after the KEEP or DROP option.

For example, I have

data var_cal (drop=i);
	set del_contries;
	by gviidkey;
/*code*/
	;
run;

I am wondering if I want to use view with data var_cal, what should I write the code?

data var_cal (drop=i) / view =var_cal;

/*or*/
data var_cal (drop=i) / view =var_cal(drop=i);
/*or*/
data var_cal / view =var_cal(drop=i);

I think the second code is more logical but I want to ask for your advice.

Warm regards.

[ballardw]

This is one of those cases where it may be a good idea to play with a very small data set and try different sets of syntax.

I think you will find that SAS tells you pretty quickly what is nice.

[Phil_NZ]

Hi @ballardw 

Yes, I just worked out with sashelp. class. And from these three ways, only the first code work, I mean only this code work

data lll (drop=Age)/ view=lll ;
 set sashelp.class;;
 run;

It means that option DROP or KEEP cannot be written after view.

Error existed in those case

NOTE: Writing HTML5(EGHTML) Body file: EGHTML
27         
28         data lll (drop=Age)/ view=lll(drop=Age) ;
                                         ____
                                         22
                                         76
ERROR 22-322: Syntax error, expecting one of the following: ALTER, EXECUTE, PROTECT, PW, READ, SOURCE, SRC, WRITE.  

ERROR 76-322: Syntax error, statement will be ignored.

29          set sashelp.class;;
30          run;

ERROR: Unable to create WORK.LLL.DATA because WORK.LLL.VIEW already exists.

Do you agree with that, I hope I did not fall into a fallacy here, and any further notice for me as well?

Warmest regards.

Have a good day!

[Kurt_Bremser]

A clear Maxim 4 issue.

[ballardw · Accepted solution]

Indeed.

Though I did take a moment to say "use a small data set".

@Phil_NZ 

When you think of a view as a set of instructions to build a result you maybe can see why certain options have to be limited.

You may have noticed that you can't mix names willy-nilly like

Data want / view=reallywant;

not every data set name on the DATA statement has to be a view but every view has to be a data set name. For instance:

data noname(drop=name) boys (where=(sex='M'))/ view=boys;
   set sashelp.class;
run;

The documentation on the DATA statement describes your question. See all the data-set-options appear before the option / for the view.

DATA _NULL_ </ <DEBUG> <NESTING> <STACK = stack-size> > <NOLIST>;

Form 3:

DATA view-name <data-set-name-1 <(data-set-options-1)> >
<...data-set-name-n <(data-set-options-n)> > /
VIEW=view-name <(<password-option> <SOURCE=source-option> )>
<NESTING> <NOLIST>;

[FreelanceReinh]

---

@ballardw wrote:

(...)

The documentation on the DATA statement describes your question. See all the data-set-options appear before the option / for the view.

Form 3:

DATA view-name <data-set-name-1 <(data-set-options-1)> >
<...data-set-name-n <(data-set-options-n)> > /
VIEW=view-name <(<password-option> <SOURCE=source-option> )>
<NESTING> <NOLIST>;

---

Actually it's not quite clear from this syntax pattern that dataset options can be specified for the view. I think it should read

DATA view-name <(data-set-options)> <data-set-name-1 <(data-set-options-1)> > ...