Date:         Fri, 15 Jun 2007 05:31:43 -0700
Reply-To:     Joep Steeman <jsteeman@BUSINESSDECISION.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Joep Steeman <jsteeman@BUSINESSDECISION.COM>
Organization: http://groups.google.com
Subject:      Re: mistakes in SAS that don't generate errors
Comments: To: sas-l@uga.edu
In-Reply-To:  <1181894449.459835.142190@c77g2000hse.googlegroups.com>
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On 15 jun, 10:00, "ckxp...@yahoo.com" <ckxp...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I'm looking for ways to produce unexpected results in SAS that don't
> generate an error or warning message. Your syntax is fine, it works as
> SAS intended but not as you intended. Three examples:
>
> * Inadvertantly respecify a user-defined format. (This does generate a
> note to the log that an existing format has been overwritten but
> that's easy to overlook).
>
> * Using a "numbered range list" in a function, e.g. "sum(x1-x5)". This
> will calculate the sum of x1 minus x5, "sum(of x1-x5)" caculates the
> sum of x1 to x5.
>
> * Forgetting that missing values are represented by minus infinity in
> comparisons.
>
> Are there other nice examples of SAS syntax that looks like it does
> what you want it to at first glance or with insufficient coffee?
>
> John Hendrickx

John,

How is it to determined, that you do *not* want to respecify a user-
defined format, or that you do *not* want the sum(x1-x5).

I think that there a numerous ways where you can actually write
something different then you intent to. If you can come up with
something, it's great. But I think it comes down to smart testing and
as we have our own tendency of typo's, concentrate on those.

Regards, Joep