What does the VAR statement do in PROC PRINT?

The VAR statement in PROC PRINT is specifically used to indicate which variables from the dataset should be included in the printed output. By using this statement, you can control the display of your data by selecting only the relevant variables you want to see. For instance, if your dataset contains multiple variables, but you only want to print a few specific columns, you can list those variables in the VAR statement.

This feature makes it easier to focus on the information of interest and can help streamline reporting by eliminating unnecessary data from the output. It's particularly useful when working with large datasets where only a subset of the variables is needed for analysis or presentation.

In contrast, other options refer to functionalities not associated with the VAR statement. For example, calculating summary statistics involves procedures like PROC MEANS or PROC FREQ, defining a new variable is handled through data step programming, and sorting output data typically utilizes the PROC SORT procedure. Thus, the VAR statement distinctly serves the purpose of specifying which variables to print, which is why this is the correct answer.