When DELETE executes,
the current observation is not written to a data set, and SAS returns
immediately to the beginning of the DATA step for the next iteration.
Details
The DELETE statement
is often used in a THEN clause of an IF-THEN statement or as part
of a conditionally executed DO group.
Comparisons
Use the DELETE statement when it
is easier to specify a condition that excludes observations from the
data set or when there is no need to continue processing the DATA
step statements for the current observation.
Use the subsetting IF statement
when it is easier to specify a condition for including observations.
Do not confuse the DROP statement
with the DELETE statement. The DROP statement excludes variables
from an output data set; the DELETE statement excludes observations.
Examples
Example 1: Using the DELETE Statement as Part of an IF-THEN Statement
When the value of LEAFWT
is missing, the current observation is deleted:
if leafwt=. then delete;
Example 2: Using the DELETE Statement to Subset Raw Data
data topsales;
infile file-specification;
input region office product yrsales;
if yrsales<100000 then delete;
run;