What happens if you try to manipulate a variable that is not part of an array?

When you attempt to manipulate a variable that is not part of an array in SAS, the variable remains unaffected. This means that your operations or modifications targeted at the array do not impact the variable that is outside of that array context. In this case, since the variable is not included in the specified array, any assignments or computations performed as part of array processing do not alter it in any way.

Understanding how arrays function in SAS is key to this scenario. Arrays are essentially a way to group a set of variables together for easier manipulation, typically enabling operations to be performed on a series of related variables simultaneously. However, any variable not included in the array remains independent and unaffected by the operations that are designated for the array.

This emphasizes the importance of carefully defining which variables are included in an array when creating your code, as any manipulation only impacts the specified variables in the array.