Question

Which style of INPUT statement specification is used to read data in fixed columns?

a. column input
b. formatted input
c. a and b
d. none of the above

Answer 1

To read data in fixed columns, "column input" is used in INPUT statement specification, ensuring data is read from specific, fixed locations in each line, the correct option is A).

Step-by-step explanation:

To read data in fixed columns, the style of INPUT statement specification used is column input. Column input specifies the exact columns where data can be found in the input data files.

It allows you to read data fields that are in specific, fixed locations in each line of input data. For example, if a dataset has the first name of a person in columns 1-12, and their age in columns 13-14, a column input statement would specify the exact column ranges to read each variable.

Conversely, formatted input reads data fields in standard data formats and can also use informat modifiers to read data from specific column locations but is often used in conjunction with list or namelist input styles.