Which data input method allows skipping some data fields if desired?

The named input method is the correct choice as it allows for skipping certain data fields when reading in data from an external source. With named input, you specify the variable names along with the associated values in the input statement. This flexibility means you can choose to include only the fields you want to read and simply omit those that are not necessary for your analysis.

For example, if you have a dataset with several fields but only want to read a subset of them into a SAS dataset, you can explicitly state which fields to read using their names. This allows for more control over the data import process and can be particularly useful when dealing with large datasets or when certain data fields are optional.

In contrast, other methods like column input, list input, and fixed input don't offer this level of flexibility in skipping fields. Column input requires that you know the exact column positions of your data, list input reads sequentially from the data without the ability to skip specific fields without some further manipulation, and fixed input requires you to define a standard width for each input field, which doesn't allow for conditional reading of data points.