What does the RBREAK statement accomplish in a report?

The RBREAK statement in SAS is specifically used in the context of producing reports, particularly with the PROC REPORT procedure. When utilized, the RBREAK statement allows you to create a break in the report output based on the values of the variable specified. One of its primary functions is to display summary statistics, such as grand totals, at the end of a report. This is particularly useful for providing an overview of the data summarized in the report, helping users to quickly grasp the total counts, sums, or other aggregates of interest.

In contrast, the other options describe functions that do not align with the functionality of the RBREAK statement. Individual observation details would typically be shown directly in the report without needing a break statement. Group summaries are usually accomplished through the use of the BREAK statement or summarizing data prior to reporting. Controlling column widths is a formatting task that usually requires adjustments in other parts of PROC REPORT rather than being related to the RBREAK statement’s functionality. Thus, the use of RBREAK is fundamentally linked to providing enhanced summary information, especially grand totals, in a structured report.