Unintentional other range got created when using a dataset as input to proc format

[vicp]

Hi all

Could anybody tell me if the following behaviour is intended or not:

I created a format ($test2b) with the following dataset (created with datalines to simulate real data), with the expectation that the format will contain 2 values - 'other' and 'test'. Instead, the resulting format has only 1 value 'test' plus an other range (see image below)!  I could circumvent the issue by adding hlo=' '  to all records, just don't think this has been mentioned anywhere in the documentation.

data fmt1;

   infile datalines dlm=' ';

   length start label $32;

   input start label;

   fmtname='$test2b';

datalines;

other error

test ok

;

run;

proc format cntlin=fmt1;

run;

 

Thanks in advance.

V

[Kurt_Bremser]

"other" is a keyword when creating formats. A pseudo-value of "other" covers all values not dealt with by the other entries.

[vicp]

Hi KurtBremser

"other" is not a keyword, rather other (without quote) is, i.e. there would differences between the formats created by the following examples:

****Example 1****;

proc format;
value $test1a
'other'=error
'test'=OK;
run;

****Example 2****;

proc format;
value $test1a
other=error
test=OK;
run;

Since I have using a dataset without specifying HLO='O', so 'other' should be consider as a text string like in Example 1 above.

[Astounding]

If you want more confidence that "other" won't be treated as a keyword, add this to your DATA step:

hlo=' ';

[vicp · Accepted solution]

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