PLOT Procedure

Example 9: Adding Labels to a Plot

Features:	PLOT statement : label variable in plot request
Data set:	EDUCATION

This example shows how to modify the plot request to label points on the plot with the values of variables. This example adds labels to the plot shown in Plotting BY Groups.

Program

options formchar="|----|+|---+=|-/\<>*";

proc sort data=education;
   by region;
run;

proc plot data=education;
   by region;

   plot expenditures*dropoutrate='*' $ state / href=28.6
        vaxis=by 500 vspace=5
        haxis=by 5 hspace=12;

   title 'Plot of Dropout Rate and Expenditure Per Pupil';
run;

Program Description

Set the FORMCHAR option.Setting FORMCHAR to this exact string renders better HTML output when it is viewed outside of the SAS environment where SAS Monospace fonts are not available.

options formchar="|----|+|---+=|-/\<>*";

Sort the EDUCATION data set. PROC SORT sorts EDUCATION by Region so that Region can be used as the BY variable in PROC PLOT.

proc sort data=education;
   by region;
run;

Create a separate plot for each BY group. The BY statement creates a separate plot for each value of Region.

proc plot data=education;
   by region;

Create the plot with a reference line and a label for each data point. The plot request plots Expenditures on the vertical axis, plots DropoutRate on the horizontal axis, and specifies an asterisk as the plotting symbol. The label variable specification ($ state) in the PLOT statement labels each point on the plot with the name of the corresponding state. HREF= draws a reference line that extends from 28.6 on the horizontal axis. The reference line represents the national average. VAXIS and HAXIS are used to set the tick marks along the vertical and horizontal axes.

   plot expenditures*dropoutrate='*' $ state / href=28.6
        vaxis=by 500 vspace=5
        haxis=by 5 hspace=12;

Specify the title.

   title 'Plot of Dropout Rate and Expenditure Per Pupil';
run;

Output

PROC PLOT produces a plot for each BY group. Only the plots for Midwest and Northeast are shown.

Plot with Labels, Midwest Region

Plot of Dropout Rate and Expenditure Per Pupil, Region=MW

Plot with Labels, Northeast Region

Plot of Dropout Rate and Expenditure Per Pupil, Region=NE