Date:         Wed, 3 Sep 2008 17:41:08 -0400
Reply-To:     "Howard Schreier <hs AT dc-sug DOT org>"
              <schreier.junk.mail@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         "Howard Schreier <hs AT dc-sug DOT org>"
              <schreier.junk.mail@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: SAS 9.2: PROC MEANS with Character Variables

On Wed, 3 Sep 2008 14:09:42 -0700, Reeza <fkhurshed@HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:

>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.

Moreover, this paragraph is under the heading "Default", indicating that it
pertains to the procedure's behavior when there are is no VAR declaration.

>
>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. "