Date:         Wed, 3 Sep 2008 14:09:42 -0700
Reply-To:     Reeza <fkhurshed@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Reeza <fkhurshed@HOTMAIL.COM>
Organization: http://groups.google.com
Subject:      Re: SAS 9.2: PROC MEANS with Character Variables
Comments: To: sas-l@uga.edu
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

On Sep 3, 12:26 pm, Paige Miller <paige.mil...@kodak.com> wrote:
> On Sep 3, 11:48 am, iebup...@GMAIL.COM ("./ ADD NAME=Data _null_,")
> wrote:
>
> > I think PROC FREQ NLEVELS will produce an adequate summary of the
> > information you seek.
>
> > ods select nlevels;
> > proc freq data=sashelp.class(keep=_char_) nlevels;
> >    run;
> > ods select all;
>
> This appears to solve my problem. Thanks.
>
> I'd still like to know what SAS had in mind when they said, referring
> to the VAR statement, you could put character variables (plural) in
> the VAR statement.
>
> --
> Paige Miller
> paige\dot\miller \at\ kodak\dot\com

The full statement is:
If you omit the VAR statement, then PROC MEANS analyzes all numeric
variables that are not listed in the other statements. When all
variables are character variables, PROC MEANS produces a simple count
of observations.

Which is pretty much what it does.  The two statements are related.
And yes, it doesn't indicate that it ignores it when there are numeric
variables or that var must be numerics, simply 'analysis variables'
This is indicated in the Proc Summary Var statement note to some
degree.

"If you omit the VAR statement, then PROC SUMMARY produces a simple
count of observations, whereas PROC MEANS tries to analyze all the
numeric variables that are not listed in the other statements. "