What does the COMPBL function do?

The COMPBL function is designed specifically to handle consecutive blank spaces within a string. It removes multiple consecutive blanks and replaces them with a single blank. This is particularly useful for normalizing text data, ensuring that there is no unnecessary white space that could affect data processing or analysis.

For instance, if you have a string like "Hello World", applying the COMPBL function will transform it into "Hello World". This helps to clean up the data by making it more consistent, which is essential in various data manipulation tasks and when preparing data for reporting.

The other options discuss functionalities that are not related to the COMPBL function. Converting characters to uppercase, converting numeric data to character format, and searching for substrings refer to different functions that serve distinct purposes in data management and manipulation. Understanding the specific use of each function is crucial for effective SAS programming.