Date:         Thu, 16 Oct 2003 18:09:31 -0700
Reply-To:     Harmeet <hkalra@WEBGABLE.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Harmeet <hkalra@WEBGABLE.COM>
Organization: http://groups.google.com
Subject:      Looking for a better way of doing this - Setting two dataset then
              retaining some fields ...
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

I am looking for a better way of coding the following, if this is an
average coding style then please let me know. I used to code in SAS
then I did not code for last 4 years and now I am back. (I could not
live without SAS.......:)

I need to concatenate two datasets one has all the reqt numbers(REQT),
customer address info and the invoice types - multiple records(one
invoice type per record) and other dataset has all the invoice types
printed in a dataset with request number information on every line of
the invoice. I need to print one letter per request number with all
the invoice types listed on the letter and then associated invoices
behind the letter. In the invoice file INV I have: reqtno and
invline(invoice line) and Linelength, invoice number and invoice line
number:


So there are multiple records per reqt number in the REQT file and
there are multiple records in the INV file; invoice file does not have
invoice type information it is already sorted in the request number
and, invoice number and invoice line number.

All the customer address related information is on every record in the
REQT file. I need to retain the customer name, address information and
then as soon as I get to the first invoice record for that request I
need to generate the cover letter.


This is kind of mailmerge:

Here is the simplified skeleton ..........
(I can have reqts without invoices. and I do have multiple templates
for the letters ... ...)

proc sort data=reqt;
    by reqtno invtype;

proc sort data=inv;
     by reqtno invno invlnno;


Data _null_
     retain cvlflag '0';
     set reqts(in=master)
         invoices (in=inv);
         by reqtno ;

         if master
           then do;
                    if first.reqtno
                       then do;
                                cvrflag = 0
                                Link _RETAIN;
                     ===
                              end;
                       else do;
                             code lines;
                             end;


** the last.reqtno is needed just incase there was no invoice for the
** request number - I still need to gen the letter ---

                     if last.reqtno
                        then do;============
                                _genltr;
                              end;

                 end;
*** Now we are accessing Invoice related to the reqt  ****;
         if inv
            then do;
                    if cvlflag = 0;
                    then link _genltr;

                    put invline $varying Linelen.
=====================

                  end;

return;

_genltr:

cvlflag=1;

======
return;


_Retain:
length _custnm _custad1 _custad2 _cusad3 $42;
retain _custnm _custad1 _custad2 _cusad3 ' ';

_custnm = custname;
_cusad1 = custad1;
_custad2 = custad2;


===========

return;