What is the difference between a WHERE statement and a WHERE clause in SAS programming?

1 Answers
Answered by suresh

Understanding the Difference Between a WHERE Statement and a WHERE Clause in SAS Programming

When it comes to SAS programming, it is important to distinguish between a WHERE statement and a WHERE clause, as they serve different purposes and are used in different contexts.

WHERE Statement:

A WHERE statement is used in data step programming in SAS to subset observations based on specified criteria. It is typically used within a DATA step to filter rows from a dataset that meet the specified condition. The WHERE statement is applied to the entire dataset, and only observations that meet the specified condition are included in the output dataset.

WHERE Clause:

On the other hand, a WHERE clause is used in PROC SQL or the PROC step in SAS to filter rows from a dataset based on specific conditions. The WHERE clause is used to subset rows from the dataset that meet the specified condition. It is similar to the WHERE statement in data step programming but is specifically used in SQL procedures or the PROC step.

In summary, the main difference between a WHERE statement and a WHERE clause in SAS programming lies in their application and usage. While a WHERE statement is used in data step programming to filter observations, a WHERE clause is used in SQL procedures or PROC steps to filter rows based on specified conditions.

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