Statistical Analysis System (SAS) Programming Certification Practice Exam

What type of information does the CONTENTS procedure create?

1. the contents of a library

2. descriptor information for an individual SAS data set

3. both A and B

4. none of the above

The correct answer is: both A and B

The CONTENTS procedure in SAS is designed to provide comprehensive information about the datasets stored in a library. When you run the CONTENTS procedure, it generates two key types of information. First, it lists the contents of a library, which includes all datasets available within that library, along with additional details such as the number of observations and variables. Secondly, it also produces descriptor information for individual SAS datasets. This descriptor information provides insights into the structure of the dataset, including variable attributes (like type, length, and format) and any other metadata associated with the dataset. Thus, selecting both aspects—the contents of a library and the descriptor information for a specific dataset—accurately reflects the capabilities of the CONTENTS procedure, confirming that the correct answer encompasses both A and B.