Paper 255-2012 The Use and Abuse of the Program Data Vector

Have you ever wondered why SAS ® does the things it does, or why your programs “get away with ” the things that they do, or why SAS would not do what you wanted it to? A key operational component of SAS is the program data vector. Without it SAS would not function as we know it. With knowledge of how the program data vector functions, programmers can better understand how SAS works. This paper will help you understand how the program data vector works, how data steps use it, and how you can exploit, manipulate, and trick it. Many examples are included; the magic behind of the DOW-loop and other mysteries will be discussed. There is something in this paper for all levels of programmers from the very beginner to the most advanced