master-data-set: specifies the SAS data set used as the master file.

Range:The name can be a one-level name (for example, FITNESS), a two-level name (for example, IN.FITNESS), or one of the special SAS data set names.

Tip:Instead of using a data set name, you can specify the physical pathname to the file, using syntax that your operating system understands. The pathname must be enclosed in single or double quotation marks.

See:Rules for Words and Names in the SAS Language in SAS Language Reference: Concepts

(data-set-options): specifies actions SAS is to take when it reads variables into the DATA step for processing.

Requirement:Data-set-options must appear within parentheses and follow a SAS data set name.

Tip:Dropping, keeping, and renaming variables is often useful when you update a data set. Renaming like-named variables prevents the second value that is read from over-writing the first one. By renaming one variable, you make the values of both of them available for processing, such as comparing.

See: A list of data set options to use with input data sets in SAS Data Set Options: Reference

Example:Updating by Renaming Variables

transaction-data-set: specifies the SAS data set that contains the changes to be applied to the master data set.

Range:The name can be a one-level name (for example, HEALTH), a two-level name (for example, IN.HEALTH), or one of the special SAS data set names.

Tip:Instead of using a data set name, you can specify the physical pathname to the file, using syntax that your operating system understands. The pathname must be enclosed in single or double quotation marks.

END=variable: creates and names a temporary variable that contains an end-of-file indicator. This variable is initialized to 0 and is set to 1 when UPDATE processes the last observation. This variable is not added to any data set.

UPDATEMODE=MISSINGCHECK

UPDATEMODE=NOMISSINGCHECK

specifies whether missing variable values in a transaction data set are to be allowed to replace existing variable values in a master data set.

MISSINGCHECK: prevents missing variable values in a transaction data set from replacing values in a master data set.

NOMISSINGCHECK: allows missing variable values in a transaction data set to replace values in a master data set.

Default:MISSINGCHECK

Tip:Special missing values, however, are the exception and will replace values in the master data set even when MISSINGCHECK (the default) is in effect.

Details

Requirements

The UPDATE statement must be accompanied by a BY statement that specifies the variables by which observations are matched.
The BY statement should immediately follow the UPDATE statement to which it applies.
The data sets listed in the UPDATE statement must be sorted by the values of the variables listed in the BY statement, or they must have an appropriate index.
Each observation in the master data set should have a unique value of the BY variable or BY variables. If there are multiple values for the BY variable, only the first observation with that value is updated. The transaction data set can contain more than one observation with the same BY value. (Multiple transaction observations are all applied to the master observation before it is written to the output file.)

For more information, see How to Prepare Your Data Sets in SAS Language Reference: Concepts.

Transaction Data Sets

Usually, the master data set and the transaction data set contain the same variables. However, to reduce processing time, you can create a transaction data set that contains only those variables that are being updated. The transaction data set can also contain new variables to be added to the output data set.

The output data set contains one observation for each observation in the master data set. If any transaction observations do not match master observations, they become new observations in the output data set. Observations that are not to be updated can be omitted from the transaction data set. See Reading, Combining, and Modifying SAS Data Sets in SAS Language Reference: Concepts.

Missing Values

By default the UPDATEMODE=MISSINGCHECK option is in effect, so missing values in the transaction data set do not replace existing values in the master data set. Therefore, if you want to update some but not all variables and if the variables that you want to update differ from one observation to the next, set to missing those variables that are not changing. If you want missing values in the transaction data set to replace existing values in the master data set, use UPDATEMODE=NOMISSINGCHECK.

Even when UPDATEMODE=MISSINGCHECK is in effect, you can replace existing values with missing values by using special missing value characters in the transaction data set. To create the transaction data set, use the MISSING statement in the DATA step. If you define one of the special missing values A through Z for the transaction data set, SAS updates numeric variables in the master data set to that value.

If you want the resulting value in the master data set to be a regular missing value, use a single underscore (_) to represent missing values in the transaction data set. The resulting value in the master data set will be a period (.) for missing numeric values and a blank for missing character values.

For more information about defining and using special missing value characters, see the MISSING Statement.

Comparisons

Both UPDATE and MERGE can update observations in a SAS data set.
MERGE automatically replaces existing values in the first data set with missing values in the second data set. UPDATE, however, does not do so by default. To cause UPDATE to overwrite existing values in the master data set with missing ones in the transaction data set, you must use UPDATEMODE=NOMISSINGCHECK.
UPDATE changes or updates the values of selected observations in a master file by applying transactions. UPDATE can also add new observations.

Examples

Example 1: Basic Updating

These program statements create a new data set (OHIO.QTR1) by applying transactions to a master data set (OHIO.JAN). The BY variable STORE must appear in both OHIO.JAN and OHIO.WEEK4, and its values in the master data set should be unique:

data ohio.qtr1;
   update ohio.jan ohio.week4;
   by store;
run;

Example 2: Updating by Renaming Variables

This example shows renaming a variable in the FITNESS data set so that it will not overwrite the value of the same variable in the program data vector. Also, the WEIGHT variable is renamed in each data set and a new WEIGHT variable is calculated. The master data set and the transaction data set are listed before the code that performs the update:

Master Data Set                          
            HEALTH                      
OBS    ID     NAME     TEAM    WEIGHT      
 1    1114    sally    blue      125       
 2    1441    sue      green     145       
 3    1750    joey     red       189       
 4    1994    mark     yellow    165
 5    2304    joe      red       170

Transaction Data Set
            FITNESS
OBS   ID     NAME     TEAM    WEIGHT
 1   1114    sally    blue      119
 2   1994    mark     yellow    174
 3   2304    joe      red       170
/*****************************************/

data health;
   input ID NAME $ TEAM $ WEIGHT;
   length team $ 6;
   cards;
1114 sally blue   125
1441 sue green   145
1750 joey red    189
1994 mark yellow 165
2304 joe red     170
;
data fitness;
 input ID NAME $ TEAM $ WEIGHT;
   length team $ 6;
   cards;
1114 sally blue  119
1994 mark yellow 174
2304 joe red     170
;

   /* Sort both data sets by ID */
proc sort data=health;
   by id;
run;
proc sort data=fitness;
   by id;
run;
   /* Update Master with Transaction */
data health2;
   length STATUS $11;
   update health(rename=(weight=ORIG) in=a)
          fitness(drop=name team in=b);
   by id ;
   if a and b then
      do;
         CHANGE=abs(orig - weight);
         if weight<orig then status='loss';
         else if weight>orig then status='gain';
         else status='same';
      end;
   else status='no weigh in';
run;

proc print data=health2;
   title 'Weekly Weigh-in Report';
run;

Updating by Renaming Variables

Example 3: Updating with Missing Values

This example illustrates the DATA steps used to create a master data set PAYROLL and a transaction data set INCREASE that contains regular and special missing values. Note the following after the update is made:

The salary for ID 1026 remains the same.
The salary for ID 1034 is a special missing value.
The salary for ID 1057 is a regular missing value.

   /* Create the Master Data Set */
data payroll;
   input ID SALARY;
   datalines;
1011 245
1026 269
1028 374
1034 333
1057 582
;
   /* Create the Transaction Data Set */
data increase;
   input ID SALARY;
   missing A _;
   datalines;
1011 376
1026 .
1028 374
1034 A
1057 _
;
   /* Update Master with Transaction */
data newpay;
   update payroll increase;
   by id;
run;
proc print data=newpay;
   title 'Updating with Missing Values';
run;

Updating with Missing Values

UPDATE Statement

Syntax

Arguments