Differences Between MERGE and APPEND Statements in SAS

When working with SAS, understanding the distinctions between the MERGE and APPEND statements is crucial for data manipulation and merging datasets efficiently.

Focus Keyword: MERGE vs. APPEND in SAS

MERGE Statement:

The MERGE statement in SAS is used to merge two or more datasets based on common variables. It combines observations from the input datasets into one output dataset while retaining all input dataset variables.

APPEND Statement:

On the other hand, the APPEND statement appends one dataset to another, stacking observations at the end of the primary dataset. It does not merge observations based on common variables.

Key Differences:

• In MERGE, merging is based on common variables, while APPEND simply stacks data.
• MERGE combines observations from multiple datasets, while APPEND appends one dataset to another.
• MERGE retains all input dataset variables, whereas APPEND may result in missing values for non-matching variables.

Both the MERGE and APPEND statements play distinct roles in SAS programming, offering flexibility in data manipulation based on specific requirements.