SAS/AF Software Procedure Guide

LIST Entries

LIST entries store lists of values that are used in conjunction with PROGRAM entries to validate field values and to provide selection lists.

You can specify the following attributes for the list. You use the BUILD procedure's LISTATTR window to set list attributes.

Type

specifies one of the following types for the values in the list:

CHAR	indicates that the list contains character values. (This is the default.)
NUM	indicates that the list contains numeric values.

The list type should match the type of the PROGRAM entry field that the list is used to validate.

Note: You cannot change the list type once the list is saved. [cautionend]

Length

specifies the length of items in the list. Valid values are 1 to 80.

Note: You cannot change the item length once the list is saved. [cautionend]

Fileref

specifies a fileref that is associated with a file that is used to populate the list. The fileref must have previously been defined in the SAS session. Each value that is read from the file is appended to the list. The file can contain more than one value per record or line as long as the values are separated by one or more spaces. Values that are longer than the specified item length are truncated.

Note: The fileref is not stored in the LIST entry. The Fileref attribute is blank each time the LISTATTR window opens. [cautionend]

Pad

specifies which pad character to use for fields in the LISTVALUES window. The default is the underscore (_) character.

Format

specifies which format to use for values in the LISTVALUES window and when values from the list are displayed in selection lists.

Just

specifies how values are aligned in the fields in the LISTVALUES window. The choices are LEFT (default), RIGHT, CENTER, and NONE.

Informat

specifies the informat that must be used when values are entered in the LISTVALUES window.

Options

specify one or more of the following characteristics of the list:

SORT: specifies that the values in the list are sorted in ascending order when the entry is saved. This option is selected by default. Deselect the SORT option if you want to store list values in the order in which they are entered.
CAPS: specifies that character values in the list are converted to uppercase. This option is selected by default. Deselect the CAPS option if you want to store mixed-case values in the list.
CASE-INSENSITIVE: specifies that the case of character values is ignored when values from the list are used to validate field values. For example, if this option is selected, then the value RED in the list matches the value red in the PROGRAM entry field that is being validated. If this option is not selected, the values do not match.

Error msg

specifies the message that is displayed when no value in the list matches the value in the PROGRAM entry field that is being validated.

You can use the special indicator %s to include the field value in the message, as in the following example:

The value %s is not valid for this field.

You use the BUILD procedure's LISTVALUES window to enter or edit values in the list. The LISTVALUES window opens automatically when you close the LISTATTR window.

Chapter Contents
Previous
Next
Top of Page