In SAS, how would you handle an ELSE condition with multiple statements?

In SAS, when you need to handle an ELSE condition that consists of multiple statements, the appropriate approach is to use the ELSE DO; ... END; structure. This allows you to group multiple statements together within the ELSE condition.

By using the ELSE DO; ... END; syntax, SAS understands that all statements between the DO and END keywords should be executed if the preceding IF condition is not met. This is particularly useful when you have multiple operations or assignments that need to occur within the same conditional block, ensuring that the logical flow and grouping of those statements are properly maintained.

For example, the structure would look like this:

if condition then do;

statement1;

statement2;

end;

else do;

statement3;

statement4;

end;

This capability distinguishes it from simply using an ELSE statement, which can only handle a single statement. Thus, the chosen answer allows for better control over complex conditional logic and is essential for effective programming in SAS.