Date:         Wed, 4 Feb 2004 10:23:53 -0500
Reply-To:     Crystal Vierhout <vierhout@UNITY.NCSU.EDU>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Crystal Vierhout <vierhout@UNITY.NCSU.EDU>
Subject:      Re: If last question--data question
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Sorry,  I didn't make it as clear as I should of...

The last testdate needs to stay.  In most cases in the dataset I don't have a problem but only a few herdcode become a problem.

(1) this logic will fail when you have only one observation within a herdcode group.

A herd(herdcode) may change from a 99 to 90 and that is what is getting into trouble.  In most cases a herd will 

herdcode            string        testdate
427500065          01            11/14/03
427500065          02            11/14/03
427500065          90            11/14/03

or

herdcode            string        testdate
427500065          99            11/14/03

When a herd has changed from a 90(that also has a undetermined number of strings after it) to a 99(with no string) is when problems occur.

(2) Would it always be the first observation within a herdcode group that is eliminated?  No,  

(3) Or is the row with string flagged "99" marked for deletion and can appear as any observation within the group?  No,  there will be a 90 or 99..

(4) Or is it the date following similar logic?
            Date is the key


Hope I stated it better this time...thanks for helping.

Crystal,