I usually just define a data step view to get around that.

data x / view=x; input .... ; cards; ... ;;;; data y; set x; by a b c ; if first.a ....; run;

On Fri, 26 Nov 2010 13:38:04 -0500, Nat Wooding <nathani@VERIZON.NET> wrote:

>Jack > >It certainly would make life easier and now that you mention it, it looks >like it should work but a trial gives > >ERROR: No SET, MERGE, UPDATE, or MODIFY statement is present > >So there appears to be a rule concerning such. Maybe they figure that the >input records are not likely to be in order so there is no use in trying. It >might make a good SASWare Ballot suggestion. > >Are there any "Birdies" listening today? > >Nat > >-----Original Message----- >From: SAS(r) Discussion [mailto:SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Jack F. >Hamilton >Sent: Friday, November 26, 2010 1:29 PM >To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU >Subject: Re: Lag Function > >I wish we could use FIRST. and LAST. with variables read with the INPUT >statement. Maybe there's a syntactical reason why that wouldn't work, but >logically it should be possible (maybe with a different syntax). > > >On Nov 26, 2010, at 4:53 , Nat Wooding wrote: > >> Joe >> >> As I read your code, you want to reset your counting variable whenever a >> pair of successive records are different but to increase it when you have >> two or more identical records. This is very easily done using if first. >type >> logic. In my example below, I used Gerhard's modified input statement and >> used a different counting variable name just so it would stand out. >> >> Nat Wooding >> >> DATA X; >> LENGTH KEY $41.; >> INPUT CARRIER $ @4 EMP_GRP_NBR : $6. @11 EMP_DIVISION : $4. @16 >> CONTRACT_NBR : $9. >> @26 MEMBER_NBR : $2.; >> >> CARDS; >> 01 030730 0001 04114422W 00 >> 01 030730 0001 04114422W 00 >> 01 030730 0001 04434800W 00 >> 01 030730 0001 04511270W 00 >> 01 030730 0001 04674974W 00 >> 01 030730 0001 05142413W 00 >> 01 030730 0001 05142413W 02 >> 01 030730 0001 051485322 00 >> 01 030730 0001 05433318W 00 >> 01 030730 0001 05433318W 01 >> 01 030730 0001 05433318W 02 >> 01 030730 0001 05455620W 00 >> 01 030730 0001 05455620W 01 >> 01 030730 0001 05455620W 02 >> 01 030730 0001 06003971W 00 >> 01 030730 0001 06003971W 01 >> 01 030730 0001 06042657W 00 >> 01 030730 0001 06042657W 02 >> 01 030730 0001 06042657W 03 >> 01 030730 0001 06042657W 04 >> 01 030730 0001 06042657W 05 >> 01 030730 0001 06266051W 00 >> 01 030730 0001 06266051W 01 >> 01 030730 0001 062705974 00 >> 01 030730 0001 062705974 02 >> 01 030730 0001 062705974 03 >> 01 030730 0001 111502697 00 >> 01 030730 0001 111502697 01 >> 01 030730 0001 111502697 02 >> 01 030730 0001 111502697 03 >> 01 030730 0001 111502697 05 >> 01 030730 0001 261711943 00 >> 01 030730 0001 261711943 02 >> 01 030730 0001 261711943 03 >> 01 030730 0001 261711943 04 >> 01 030730 0001 261740277 00 >> 01 030730 0001 262764072 00 >> 01 030730 0001 262764072 01 >> RUN; >> Data Y; >> set x; >> by CARRIER EMP_GRP_NBR EMP_DIVISION CONTRACT_NBR MEMBER_NBR; >> if first.member_nbr then MemberCount = 1;else MemberCount+1; >> run; >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: SAS(r) Discussion [mailto:SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of >> SUBSCRIBE SAS-L Joe H. Smith >> Sent: Friday, November 26, 2010 1:55 AM >> To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU >> Subject: Lag Function >> >> Hi all , >> >> I am using the below code ,but in my output i am unable to get correct >> value for MCNT.For second observation MCNT value should be 2. >> >> DATA X; >> LENGTH KEY $41.; >> INPUT CARRIER $ @5 EMP_GRP_NBR $ @13 EMP_DIVISION $ @21 CONTRACT_NBR $9. >> @33 MEMBER_NBR $; >> retain mcnt 1; >> IF CARRIER NE LAG(CARRIER) THEN MCNT= 1; >> ELSE IF EMP_GRP_NBR NE LAG(EMP_GRP_NBR) THEN MCNT= 1; >> ELSE IF EMP_DIVISION NE LAG(EMP_DIVISION) THEN MCNT= 1; >> ELSE IF CONTRACT_NBR NE LAG(CONTRACT_NBR) THEN MCNT=1; >> ELSE IF MEMBER_NBR NE LAG(MEMBER_NBR) THEN MCNT=1; >> ELSE MCNT=MCNT + 1; >> CARDS; >> 01 030730 0001 04114422W 00 >> 01 030730 0001 04114422W 00 >> 01 030730 0001 04434800W 00 >> 01 030730 0001 04511270W 00 >> 01 030730 0001 04674974W 00 >> 01 030730 0001 05142413W 00 >> 01 030730 0001 05142413W 02 >> 01 030730 0001 051485322 00 >> 01 030730 0001 05433318W 00 >> 01 030730 0001 05433318W 01 >> 01 030730 0001 05433318W 02 >> 01 030730 0001 05455620W 00 >> 01 030730 0001 05455620W 01 >> 01 030730 0001 05455620W 02 >> 01 030730 0001 06003971W 00 >> 01 030730 0001 06003971W 01 >> 01 030730 0001 06042657W 00 >> 01 030730 0001 06042657W 02 >> 01 030730 0001 06042657W 03 >> 01 030730 0001 06042657W 04 >> 01 030730 0001 06042657W 05 >> 01 030730 0001 06266051W 00 >> 01 030730 0001 06266051W 01 >> 01 030730 0001 062705974 00 >> 01 030730 0001 062705974 02 >> 01 030730 0001 062705974 03 >> 01 030730 0001 111502697 00 >> 01 030730 0001 111502697 01 >> 01 030730 0001 111502697 02 >> 01 030730 0001 111502697 03 >> 01 030730 0001 111502697 05 >> 01 030730 0001 261711943 00 >> 01 030730 0001 261711943 02 >> 01 030730 0001 261711943 03 >> 01 030730 0001 261711943 04 >> 01 030730 0001 261740277 00 >> 01 030730 0001 262764072 00 >> 01 030730 0001 262764072 01 >> RUN; >> >> Please help out. >> >> Thanks & Regards, >> MIKE