In SAS, how do I make my variable names more descriptive?

The variable names in SAS can have a maximum length of 32 characters; however, sometimes this may not make the variable names descriptive enough for use at a later date, or for use by others.

You can use the label command to add descriptive labels to your variables. The following example creates a dataset called scores which contains the variables name (student name) and score (score on the final exam):

For more information about statistical and mathematical software, email the UITS Stat/Math Center, visit the center's web page, or phone 812-855-4724 (IUB) or 317-278-4740 (IUPUI). The center is located in Bloomington at 410 N. Park Avenue, and is open for consultation by appointment Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.

Also see:

• In SAS, how can I make my output more readable?
• Finding help for statistical and mathematical computing at IU