Discover More Tips and Techniques on This Blog

Basic Differences Between Proc MEANS and Proc SUMMARY

Though Proc Means and Proc Summary are 2 different procedures essentially used to compute descriptive statistics of numeric variables, but there are differences between these two. ( 
1)  By default, Proc MEANS  produces printed output in the LISTING window or other open destination whereas Proc SUMMARY does not.  
2) Proc Summary only produces the descriptive statistics for the variables that are specified in the VAR statement, where as Proc Means by default, computes the descriptive statistics of the numeric variables even without the VAR statement.
Here is a post which details the differences:
Excerpt
Proc SUMMARY and Proc MEANS are essentially the same procedure.  Both procedures compute descriptive statistics.  The main difference concerns the default type of output they produce.  Proc MEANS by default produces printed output in the LISTING window or other open destination whereas Proc SUMMARY does not.  Inclusion of the print option on the Proc SUMMARY statement will output results to the output window.
The second difference between the two procedures is reflected in the omission of the VAR statement.  When all variables in the data set are character the same output: a simple count of observations, is produced for each procedure.  However, when some variables in the dataset are numeric, Proc MEANS analyses all numeric variables not listed in any of the other statements and produces default statistics for these variables (N, Mean, Standard Deviation, Minimum and Maximum). 


Disclosure:

In the spirit of transparency and innovation, I want to share that some of the content on this blog is generated with the assistance of ChatGPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI. While I use this tool to help brainstorm ideas and draft content, every post is carefully reviewed, edited, and personalized by me to ensure it aligns with my voice, values, and the needs of my readers. My goal is to provide you with accurate, valuable, and engaging content, and I believe that using AI as a creative aid helps achieve that. If you have any questions or feedback about this approach, feel free to reach out. Your trust and satisfaction are my top priorities.