How can one display each distinct data value in PROC FREQ?

Using PROC FREQ on its own is an effective way to display each distinct data value in a dataset. The PROC FREQ procedure is specifically designed to produce frequency tables for categorical variables, allowing users to see how many times each unique value occurs in the data. When you simply execute PROC FREQ with a specified variable, it automatically processes the dataset and returns a frequency count for each distinct value of that variable.

For instance, if you have a variable that contains categorical data—like a list of fruits—executing the command without additional statements will yield a table that lists each unique fruit along with its frequency count. This simplicity is a strong point of PROC FREQ, as it does not require additional specification to show distinct values.

While other techniques, such as using the CLASS statement or defining specific formats, may modify how data is displayed or categorized, they are not necessary for obtaining a straightforward frequency table through PROC FREQ. The same applies to the option of manually specifying data values, which is not practical or efficient when handling larger datasets. Thus, the use of PROC FREQ by itself provides a direct and effective means of displaying distinct values.