Can you explain the difference between PROC MEANS and PROC SUMMARY in SAS and when would you choose to use one over the other?

Difference between PROC MEANS and PROC SUMMARY in SAS

PROC MEANS: PROC MEANS is a procedure in SAS that is used to generate descriptive statistics for numeric variables in a dataset. It calculates statistics such as mean, sum, minimum, maximum, and standard deviation.

PROC SUMMARY: PROC SUMMARY is also a procedure in SAS that can be used to produce summary statistics for numeric variables. It is more versatile than PROC MEANS as it allows for customizing the output by defining different statistics and grouping variables.

When to choose PROC MEANS: PROC MEANS is more straightforward and is preferred when you need a quick overview of basic statistics for numeric variables without much customization.

When to choose PROC SUMMARY: PROC SUMMARY is ideal when you require more control over the summary statistics output, such as calculating multiple statistics simultaneously or grouping the data by specific variables.

If you are looking for a simple summary of basic statistics, PROC MEANS is the go-to option, while PROC SUMMARY offers greater flexibility and customization capabilities.