Question

What is the value of X at the completion of the DATA step?

data test;
x=15;
do while(x>12);
x+1;
end;
run;
a. 12
b. 15
c. 16
d. This loop executes infinitely.

Answer 1

The loop in the provided code snippet will execute infinitely because the code meant to increment X lacks the proper assignment operator, causing X to remain unchanged.d. This loop executes infinitely.

Step-by-step explanation:

The value of X at the completion of the DATA step is not changed due to the incorrect syntax in the loop. In the given code snippet, the intention seems to be to increment the value of X by 1 in each iteration of the loop with the condition that the loop should continue as long as X is greater than 12.

However, the code x+1; does not actually update the value of X because it lacks an assignment operator. It should be x = x + 1; or x + 1; to increment the value of X. Without the correct syntax for assignment, the value of X remains the same, and the loop executes infinitely. Therefore, the correct answer is: