understanding value assignment IF and PDV for this code?

[pjpnk]

Hello - I am stuck here can someone please explain what would be the answer?

Based on this program and the observation shown in the PDV, what variable’s value is assigned to Amount?

PDV
Emp ID	Pay Class	Hrs	Amount	Job Rate	Msg
1201	Contract	30	.	.

data payroll;
   set salaries;
   if PayClass='Monthly' then Amount=Salary;
   else if PayClass='Hourly' then do;
      Amount=HrlyWage*Hrs;
      if Hrs>40 then Msg='CHECK TIMECARD'; 
   end;     
   else Amount=JobRate;
run;

 

a.)not specified

b.)HrlyWage*Hrs

c.)JobRate

d.)Salary

Any help would be appreciated. 

[PeterClemmensen]

Who asked you this question?

What do you think is the answer and why?

[pjpnk]

sorry..! while practice I got this question and the answer given is the option D (Salary) as correct. but I am confused.

[ballardw]

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@pjpnk wrote:

sorry..! while practice I got this question and the answer given is the option D (Salary) as correct. but I am confused.

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I would go back to the source and verify that the PDV you show is accurate. Since you don't show a variable SALARY in the PDV then something is odd. If there actually is not variable SALARY in the dataset SALARIES then this line would create the variable SALARY with a missing value:

if PayClass='Monthly' then Amount=Salary;

and a note about SALARY was uninitialized.

At which point SALARY = JOBRATE (both missing).

But since the PDV is ALSO missing HrlyWage I suspect that your PDV description is incomplete.

One common test of doubtful questions is to create the "data" and run the code:

data salaries;
   empid='1201';
   payclass='Contract';
   hrs = 30;
   amount=.;
   jobrate=.;
   msg = '   ';
run;
   
data payroll;
   set salaries;
   if PayClass='Monthly' then Amount=Salary;
   else if PayClass='Hourly' then do;
      Amount=HrlyWage*Hrs;
      if Hrs>40 then Msg='CHECK TIMECARD'; 
   end;     
   else Amount=JobRate;
run;

[pjpnk]

here is the original source of the question -
http://support.sas.com/training/us/crs/quiz/prg1/chapter9x.htm

[Astounding]

That's the source of your confusion.  Your link does not select D as the correct answer, but selects C instead.  C is correct.  The first two IF/THEN conditions are false, so the last statement in the DATA step executes.

[Astounding]

Actually, the PDV doesn't match the program.  If it did, it would also contain a spot for Salary and HrlyWage.

[pjpnk]

here is the original source of the question - 

http://support.sas.com/training/us/crs/quiz/prg1/chapter9x.htm