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What is delimited data?

In the previous lesson, SAS_READRAW_L101, we have seen that when a data component is always found in a specified set of columns, we called it column data.
Instead, when data components on a row of raw data are separated by delimiter (separator) we call it delimited data
So, In delimited data, we have the data components listed one after another with a separator in between

How do we read delimited data into a SAS dataset?

For reading raw data, we use an input statement to describe the alignment of data components in raw data. When data is aligned in columns, we used an input statement which defined the data component column alignment, so we called it column input
When the raw data is listed, we need to list the names of the variables (of each data component) on the input statement. This style of listing the names of the variables on the input statement is called 'list input'
We also need to tell SAS about the character that separates each data component (delimiter)

We are instructing SAS to create a dataset named list01 using data statement
With the keyword datalines on infile statement, we are instructing SAS to expect instream data
Using dlm option on infile statement we are specifying that the listed raw data components are separated by a comma
We are specifying the names and type of each variable for each data component using input statement. As mentioned earlier, as we justing listing the names of the variables on the input statement, we call it as list input
With list input, SAS scans from one delimiter to next and assigns input values to each variable

data list01;
   infile datalines dlm=',';
   input Name$ Sex$ Age Height Weight;
datalines;
Alice,F,13,56.5,84
John,M,16,72,150
Jane,F,12,59.8,84.5
;
run;

Understanding the attributes of the dataset created

We will use proc contents to check the attributes of list01 dataset

proc contents data=list01;
run;

To add: Flowover Length greater than 8 Space as default delimiter Modified list input as a separate lesson