How to import data into SAS? Improve Improve Like Article Like Save Share Report Entering Data Directly: You can enter numbers of lines of data directly in SAS program by using a DATALINES statement. The keywords are as follows: DATA: The DATA step always starts with a DATA statement. The purpose of the DATA statement is to tell SAS that you are creating a new data set i.e. outdata. DATA outdata; INPUT: To define the variables used in data set. INPUT age gender $ dept obs1 obs2 obs3; Dollar sign ($): To declare variable as a character. INPUT age gender $ dept obs1 obs2 obs3; DATALINES: To refer that lines following DATALINES statement a real data. DATALINES; PROC PRINT: To display out the contents of data set in output window. proc print; RUN: The DATA step ends with a RUN statement to run the complete code. run; Example: DATA outdata; INPUT age gender $ dept obs1 obs2 obs3; DATALINES; 25 M 3 17 6 24 24 F 1 19 25 7 31 F 4 24 10 20 33 M 2 19 23 8 22 M 1 14 23 12 22 F 5 1 23 9 31 M 1 8 21 7 34 M 1 7 7 14 31 F 2 2 1 22 22 F 5 20 5 2 32 M 4 21 8 18 41 M 4 7 9 25 24 M 5 10 17 20 31 F 4 21 25 7 32 M 3 9 9 5 ; proc print; run; Output: You can also use CARDS instead of DATALINES. Both means the same. There is no difference between these two keywords. Example: DATA outdata; INPUT age gender $ dept obs1 obs2 obs3; CARDS; 24 F 1 19 25 7 31 F 4 24 10 20 33 M 2 19 23 8 22 M 1 14 23 12 22 F 5 1 23 9 31 M 1 8 21 7 ; proc print; run; Output Reading Delimited Data: The default delimiter is blank. If you have a data file with other delimiters such as comma or tab you need to define the delimiter before defining the variables using INFILE and DLM = options. Syntax: Infile 'file-description' dlm=', ' While using tab delimiter, the syntax would be infile 'file-description' dlm='09'x While using colon delimiter, the syntax would be infile 'file-description' dlm=':' Example: DATA outdata; INFILE Datalines dlm =", "; INPUT age gender $ dept obs1 obs2 obs3; Datalines; 34, M, 1, 7, 7, 14 31, F, 2, 2, 1, 22 22, F, 5, 20, 5, 2 32, M, 4, 21, 8, 18 41, M, 4, 7, 9, 25 24, M, 5, 10, 17, 20 ; proc print; run; Output: Last Updated : 23 Jul, 2019 Like Article Save Article Previous Prolog | An Introduction Next Where Statement in SAS Programming Share your thoughts in the comments Add Your Comment Please Login to comment...