Date:         Wed, 27 Dec 2000 23:49:06 +0000
Reply-To:     Puddin' Man <pudding_man@POSTMARK.NET>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Puddin' Man <pudding_man@POSTMARK.NET>
Subject:      Re: dropping missing data records
Comments: To: sashole@bellsouth.net
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Paul Dorfman wrote:

--- snip ------------

> time. This becomes readily evident if we run the Puddin' Man's solution
> alongside. For the sake of equal justice, I have trimmed Puddin's product
> down as well. Parsimony has its drawbacks, but sometimes it allows to
> achieve an eye-pleasing symmetry:
>
> data c;
>    set a;
>    array nn _numeric_; array cc _character_;
>    do _i_=1 to dim(nn) until (nn(_i_) >  .); end; if _i_ <= dim(nn);
>    do _i_=1 to dim(cc) until (cc(_i_) > ''); end; if _i_ <= dim(cc);
> run ;

"Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder" ???

Well, the data step code I presented was sufficiently inelegant
that I suppose _someone_ should have cleaned it up (I was in a
hurry). Come to think of it the SQL wasn't exactly "Pretty"
either ...   :-)

But I, for one, don't see much in the way of "eye-pleasing symmetry"
in Paul's code (above). At least with my ("undefendable") code,
you could glance at it and (due to the explicit transfer-of-
control) it's purpose would sorta jump up and smack you in
the face. I hadda stare at the above for a minute to determine
that it would do the same processing ...

From Webster's "New World Dictionary ...":

parsimony  n.  a tendency to be over-careful in spending;
               unreasonable economy; stinginess

  Zalut,
  Puddin'

"If you catch my duffel
 hangin' upside your wall
 you know by that
 I need my ashes hauled."
      - from "The Girl I Love", Sleepy John Estes, maybe 1937

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