Date:         Fri, 19 Apr 2002 13:04:57 +1000
Reply-To:     Jian Wu <jw55@UOW.EDU.AU>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Jian Wu <jw55@UOW.EDU.AU>
Subject:      select certain record from a data set
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Hi,
I have a data set like the following:

id followup diag
1  1        a
1  2
1  3        e
1  4        r
2  1
2  2
2  3
3  1
3  2        e
3  3
4  1        r

Each id has various follow up times, and some values for diag are
missing.

I'd like to extract a new data set from the above data set. The new
data set should have the following features:
* each id has only one record in the new data set.
* the record with the first nonmissing value (according to followup)
for diag will be extratced.
* if all values for diag are missing for one id, then the last record
(according to followup) will be extracted.

The new data set should read like:
id followup diag
1  1        a
2  2
3  2        e
4  1        r

Any code suggestion? Your help is appreciated.

Regards
Jian