Date:         Mon, 14 Apr 2003 15:24:13 -0700
Reply-To:     cassell.david@EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         "David L. Cassell" <cassell.david@EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV>
Subject:      Re: Changing columns order ?
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Johny Bravo <manu_killer@POCZTA.ONET.PL> wrote:
> Ho to change columns order without generating a new dataset ?

As Jack has valiantly tried to point out against the
gathering throng, if you change the column order, then
you are changing *something*.  You can create a view,
which technically does not create a new data set, but
what is the point?  Why do you need to do this?

If you want the data in a particular order in output,
then use the VAR statement in PROC PRINT, or the COLUMN
statement in PROC REPORT, or other features of other
procedures.  Each one has components to let you control
the format of the output.

If you want to browse the data, the table viewer lets you specify
the order of the variables as well.

If you want to specify a particular order of variables in
something like an array statement in a data step, you don't
need to change the order of the variables to do that.

So I still don't see why you need to change the order of
the columns of your data table.  I am guessing that you only
want to change the appearance of some display or output, and
you do not need to alter the original data set to do that.

HTH,
David
--
David Cassell, CSC
Cassell.David@epa.gov
Senior computing specialist
mathematical statistician