*Copyright @ www.mycsg.in;

Variable <*> is uninitialized

New variable specified on length statement but not created it in the step

data input;
    infile cards truncover;
    input studyid$ subject$ age dob : date9.;
    format dob date9.;
cards;
MYCSG 1001 72 1jan1947
MYCSG 1002 69 2jan1950
MYCSG 1003 .  .
MYCSG 1004 40 1apr1983
;
run;
 
data output;
    set input;
    length usubjid $10;
run;

Type a wrong variable name in an expression

data output;
    set input;
    if age ne . then agemon=aeg*12;
run;

Specify a variable name on retain statement but do not create it in the data step

data output;
    set input;
    retain subjcount;
run;

Missing values were generated as a result of performing an operation on missing values

Perform an operation on a variable that contains missing values on some/all rows

data output;
    set input;
    agemon=age*12;
run;

Using a non-existing variable in an expression

 
data output;
    set input;
    agemon=aeg*12; *correct expression - agemon=age*12;
run;

Apply a function that expects non-missing values on a variable that contains missing values on some/all rows

data output;
    set input;
    month=month(dob);
    year=year(dob);
run;

Apply a function that expects non-missing values on a variable that contains missing values - round function

data bmi;
infile cards truncover;
input usubjid bmi;
cards;
1001 23.6789
1002 .
1003 35.1983
;
run;
 
data output;
    set bmi;
    aval=round(bmi,0.01);
run;

All variables passed as arguments to some numeric functions have missing values

data scores;
    infile cards truncover;
    input usubjid$ visit$ score1 score2 score3;
cards;
1001 Week1 10 20 30
1001 Week2 9 20 29
1001 Week3 . . 25
1001 Week4 . . .
1001 Week5 10 15 .
1001 Week6 10 20 30
;
run;
 
data output;
    set scores;
    nresp=n(score1,score2,score3);
    missresp=nmiss(score1,score2,score3);
    sumscore=sum(score1,score2,score3);
    avgscore=mean(score1,score2,score3);
run;

Character values were converted to numeric values

Create input data

data age;
    infile cards truncover;
    input subject$ age$;
cards;
1001 72
1002 69
1003 45
1004
;
run;

Specifying a character variable in an expression that requires numeric variables

proc contents data=age out=cont01;
run;
 
data output;
    set age;
    agemon=age*12;
run;

Numeric values were converted to character values

Create input data

data age1;
    infile cards truncover;
    input subject$ age;
cards;
1001 72
1002 69
1003 45
1004 .
;
run;

Specifying a numeric variable in an expression that requires character variables

proc contents data=age1 out=cont01;
run;
 
data output;
    set age1;
    agec=strip(age)||" Years";
run;

WARNING: The variable <*> in the DROP, KEEP, or RENAME list has never been referenced.

data class;
    set sashelp.class;
run;
 
data class2;
    set class;
    keep nmae age sex;
run;

ERROR: The variable <*> in the DROP, KEEP, or RENAME list has never been referenced.

data class;
    set sashelp.class;
run;
 
data class2;
    set class(keep=nmae sex age);
run;

Division by zero detected

Create input data

 
data scoring;
    infile cards truncover;
    input usubjid$ paramcd$ aval base;
cards;
1001 SMWT01 100 90
1002 SMWT01 49  50
1003 SMWT01 68  0
;
run;

When calculating percent change and denominator is 0

data scoring2;
    set scoring;
    pchg=(aval-base)/base*100;
run;

Invalid argument to function INPUT
Mathematical operations could not be performed at the following places

Create input data

data age1;
    infile cards truncover;
    input subject$ agec$;
cards;
1001 72
1002 69
1003 45
1004 NA
;
run;

Converting a value to numeric and data contains non-digit characters

data age2;
    set age1;
    age=input(agec,best.);
run;

File .DATA does not exist.

Referring a non-existing dataset on set statement

data class;
    set sashelp.calss; *correct - sashelp.class;
run;

Referring a non-existing dataset on data= option of a procedure

proc print data=sashelp.calss;
run;

BY variables are not properly sorted on data set

Using a by statement in a data step with incorrect sort order variables

Class dataset is sorted by the values in name variable
In the second data step below, sex is specified on the by statement

data class;
    set sashelp.class;
run;
 
data class01;
    set class;
    by sex;
run;

MERGE statement has more than one data set with repeats of BY values

Create input datasets

data height;
    infile cards truncover;
    input subject$ visitnum height;
cards;
1001 101 168
1001 102 168
1002 101 152
1003 101 160
;
run;
 
data weight;
    infile cards truncover;
    input subject$ visitnum weight;
cards;
1001 101 56
1001 102 59
1002 101 50
1003 101 50.5
;
run;

Merging height and weight datasets by subject variable alone

data forbmi;
    merge height weight;
    by subject;
run;

The variable <> on data set <> will be overwritten by data set <*>.

Create input datasets

data height;
    infile cards truncover;
    input subject$ visitnum height;
cards;
1001 101 168
1002 101 152
1003 101 160
;
run;
 
data weight;
    infile cards truncover;
    input subject$ visitnum weight;
cards;
1001 101 56
1001 102 59
1002 101 50
1003 101 50.5
;
run;

Merging height and weight datasets by subject variable alone

 
options msglevel=I;
data forbmi;
    merge weight height;
    by subject;
run;

Solution to fix this

There is no general rule but decide based on data
In this case, height is expected to be collected only at 101 visit
Merge the datasets at subject level and drop visitnum from height datasets when merging

data forbmi2;
    merge weight height(keep=subject height);
    by subject;
run;

The function is unknown, or cannot be accessed

Using a non-existing function

data output;
    set input;
    month=mon(dob); *correct - month(dob);
run;

WHERE clause operator requires compatible variables

data output;
    set input;
    where age gt "50";*age is a numeric variable in input dataset;
run;

*Copyright @ www.mycsg.in;

Variable <*> is uninitialized

New variable specified on length statement but not created it in the step

Type a wrong variable name in an expression

Specify a variable name on retain statement but do not create it in the data step

Missing values were generated as a result of performing an operation on missing values

Perform an operation on a variable that contains missing values on some/all rows

Using a non-existing variable in an expression

Apply a function that expects non-missing values on a variable that contains missing values on some/all rows

Apply a function that expects non-missing values on a variable that contains missing values - round function

All variables passed as arguments to some numeric functions have missing values

Character values were converted to numeric values

Create input data

Specifying a character variable in an expression that requires numeric variables

Numeric values were converted to character values

Create input data

Specifying a numeric variable in an expression that requires character variables

WARNING: The variable <*> in the DROP, KEEP, or RENAME list has never been referenced.

ERROR: The variable <*> in the DROP, KEEP, or RENAME list has never been referenced.

Division by zero detected

Create input data

When calculating percent change and denominator is 0

Invalid argument to function INPUT Mathematical operations could not be performed at the following places

Create input data

Converting a value to numeric and data contains non-digit characters

File .DATA does not exist.

Referring a non-existing dataset on set statement

Referring a non-existing dataset on data= option of a procedure

BY variables are not properly sorted on data set

Using a by statement in a data step with incorrect sort order variables

MERGE statement has more than one data set with repeats of BY values

Create input datasets

Merging height and weight datasets by subject variable alone

The variable <*> on data set <*> will be overwritten by data set <*>.

Create input datasets

Merging height and weight datasets by subject variable alone

Solution to fix this

The function is unknown, or cannot be accessed

Using a non-existing function

WHERE clause operator requires compatible variables

Invalid argument to function INPUT
Mathematical operations could not be performed at the following places

The variable <> on data set <> will be overwritten by data set <*>.