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List: sas-l
Subject: Re: Q: term for 'empty' variables
From: F J Kelley <jkelley () UGA ! EDU>
Date: 2024-04-26 0:52:17
Message-ID: BN8PR02MB5795F9289BCD5D9489A69D2CAB162 () BN8PR02MB5795 ! namprd02 ! prod ! outlook ! com
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I'd still use "missing", however I do not think that captures what you are =
really dealing with, so "empty" or "null" or the like may be better. That =
said, there is probably a gigaton of documentation, papers, etc using "miss=
ing". Which is fine for a researcher setting up an ANOVA. I do think some=
one who is actually "programming" (DATA, PROC, MACRO, and such) should adop=
t more conventional/descriptive/common terms.
FWIW, I found writing SAS "programs" (all the stuff above) to be hugely fun=
. And Ian W. certainly upped everyone's game.
________________________________
From: SAS(r) Discussion <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of William W. Vi=
ergever <william@VIERGEVER.NET>
Sent: Thursday, April 25, 2024 8:28 PM
To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Subject: Re: [SAS-L] Q: term for 'empty' variables
[EXTERNAL SENDER - PROCEED CAUTIOUSLY]
I agree that most users and programmers
will grok 'empty'.
Valentine Michael Smith agrees ?
--------------------------------------------------------------
William W. Viergever
Viergever & Associates
Hospital and Health Data Analysis / Systems Design & Development
3607 La Habra Way
Sacramento, CA 95864
william@viergever.net<mailto:william@viergever.net>
www.viergever.net<http://www.viergever.net/>
(916) 715-1768
--------------------------------------------------------------
From: SAS(r) Discussion <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> On Behalf Of Ron RJF Fehd
Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2024 6:49 AM
To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: Q: term for 'empty' variables
thanks to all who responded
commentary:
* null
YeahBut the first definition is legal.
WhereAs we all recognize null
as the four-letter name for the 'bit-bucket'.
* missing
yes, for numeric
* blank
but not just $char1.
* constant
hmm, uh, yeah, conveys the essence of the problem
disclaimer: the OP w/whom I discussed this with
said this was an issue in Public Use DataSets;
with which I have no experience.
They want to drop 1,000 empty/useless variables
from 6,000.
!!!
side note:
In my previous life, as a paid programmer,
I put these quirks down to misspelled varnames.
And that entailed lots of proofreading
and searching for multiple instances
of statements that assigned varnames:
length, label, format, informat, ...
FWIW, this task is why my style guide
EMPHASIZES the use of Only the attrib statement.
For a conference paper title
I agree that most users and programmers
will grok 'empty'.
no matter numeric, character of however long, etc.
thanks to all for your thoughts
--
Ron Fehd macro maven
"Without Data, You are Just Another Person with an Opinion"
- W. Edwards Deming,
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<div class="elementToProof" style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; \
font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> I'd still use "missing", however I \
do not think that captures what you are really dealing with, so "empty" or \
"null" or the like may be better. That said, there is probably a \
gigaton of documentation, papers, etc using "missing". Which is fine \
for a researcher setting up an ANOVA. I do think someone who is actually \
"programming" (DATA, PROC, MACRO, and such) should adopt more \
conventional/descriptive/common terms. </div> <div class="elementToProof" \
style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, \
0);"> <br>
</div>
<div class="elementToProof" style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; \
font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> FWIW, I found writing SAS \
"programs" (all the stuff above) to be hugely fun. And Ian W. \
certainly upped everyone's game.</div> <div id="appendonsend"></div>
<hr style="display:inline-block;width:98%" tabindex="-1">
<div id="divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" \
style="font-size:11pt" color="#000000"><b>From:</b> SAS(r) Discussion \
<SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of William W. Viergever \
<william@VIERGEVER.NET><br> <b>Sent:</b> Thursday, April 25, 2024 8:28 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [SAS-L] Q: term for 'empty' variables</font>
<div> </div>
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<div>
<div class="x_WordSection1">
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">I agree that \
most users and programmers</span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><span \
style="font-family:"Courier New"">will grok 'empty'.</span></p> <p \
class="x_MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="x_MsoNormal">Valentine Michael Smith agrees \
<span style="font-family:"Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif"> 😉</span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span \
style="color:#1F497D"> </span></p> <p class="x_MsoNormal" \
style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span \
style="color:#1F497D">--------------------------------------------------------------<br>
William W. Viergever<br>
<b>Viergever & Associates<br>
</b>Hospital and Health Data Analysis / Systems Design & Development<br>
3607 La Habra Way <br>
Sacramento, CA 95864<br>
<a href="mailto:william@viergever.net"><span \
style="color:blue">william@viergever.net</span></a><br> <a \
href="http://www.viergever.net/"><span \
style="color:blue">www.viergever.net</span></a><br> (916) 715-1768<br>
--------------------------------------------------------------</span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"> </p>
<div style="border:none; border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt; padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in">
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> SAS(r) Discussion <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> \
<b> On Behalf Of </b>Ron RJF Fehd<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, April 24, 2024 6:49 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: Q: term for 'empty' variables</p>
</div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"> </p>
<div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">thanks to \
all who responded</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier \
New""> </span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier \
New"">commentary:</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier \
New""> </span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">* \
null</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">YeahBut the \
first definition is legal.</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">WhereAs we \
all recognize null </span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">as the \
four-letter name for the 'bit-bucket'.</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier \
New""> </span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier \
New""> </span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">* \
missing</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">yes, for \
numeric</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier \
New""> </span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">* \
blank</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">but not just \
$char1.</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier \
New""> </span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">* \
constant</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">hmm, uh, \
yeah, conveys the essence of the problem</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier \
New""> </span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">disclaimer: \
the OP w/whom I discussed this with</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">said this \
was an issue in Public Use DataSets;</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">with which I \
have no experience.</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">They want to \
drop 1,000 empty/useless variables</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">from \
6,000.</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier \
New"">!!!</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier \
New""> </span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">side \
note:</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier \
New""> </span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">In my \
previous life, as a paid programmer,</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">I put these \
quirks down to misspelled varnames.</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">And that \
entailed lots of proofreading</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">and \
searching for multiple instances</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">of \
statements that assigned varnames:</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">length, \
label, format, informat, ...</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">FWIW, this \
task is why my style guide</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">EMPHASIZES \
the use of Only the attrib statement.</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier \
New""> </span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">For a \
conference paper title</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">I agree that \
most users and programmers</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">will grok \
'empty'.</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier \
New""> </span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">no matter \
numeric, character of however long, etc.</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier \
New""> </span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">thanks to \
all for your thoughts<br clear="all"> </span></p>
</div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><br>
<span class="x_gmailsignatureprefix">-- </span></p>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier New"">Ron \
Fehd macro maven</span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Courier \
New"">"Without Data, You are Just Another Person with an Opinion"<br> \
- W. Edwards Deming, </span></p> </div>
<div>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"> </p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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