Date:         Wed, 31 Jan 1996 13:17:31 PST
Reply-To:     Prasad S Ravi <prasad@IMMUNEX.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU>
From:         Prasad S Ravi <prasad@IMMUNEX.COM>
Subject:      Hint me Please.

     I have a study which has multiple SAS datasets, what I need
     to do with these is:
 
     1. If two variables PATNO and SITE exists in a dataset I have to count
     the no of unique SITEs for each PATNO, and print out the
     PATNOs which have more than one SITE. Tough part of this qn is how to
     find out existance of particular variables in each dataset of the
     study.  Remember I don't know the # and names of datasets of the
     study.  I just know the directory of the study which has several
     datasets.
 
     2. Assuming that a PATNO has a unique SITE I have to check that PATNO
     has the same SITE across all the datasets of the study, ofcourse for
     only those datasets which contain those two variables.
 
 
     I was able to do part of my 1st qn.  i.e, using PROC CONTENTS I output
     the names of datasets of the study into a output dataset, using SYMPUT
     function I found out the # of datasets in the study, and using SQL in
     a DO loop I counted the # of unique SITEs for each PATNO in each
     dataset.  Before doing this I removed the datasets by hardcoding which
     didn't contain those two variables(which I want SAS code to do
     itself).  I know from PROC CONTENTS one can also output the variable
     names of each dataset but don't know to check for particular variable.
 
     How can one go about checking if a particular variable exist in each
     dataset of the study or not?, secondly how can I compare variables
     across all datasets?.
 
     Thanx for any help.
 
     Prasad Ravi.
     Immunex Corporation
     Seattle, WA.