Which option within the DEFINE statement controls the width of a report column?

The WIDTH= option within the DEFINE statement is specifically designed to control the width of a report column in SAS. When generating reports with procedures like PROC REPORT, adjusting the column width is essential for enhancing readability and ensuring that all data fits neatly within the confines of the report layout. By setting the WIDTH= option to a specific value (in character width), you can create space for data elements, thereby avoiding issues like data truncation or overly compressed information.

This option allows you to customize how much space each column occupies, which is particularly useful when working with varying data lengths or when visual aesthetics are a priority in report presentation. The ability to manipulate column widths can significantly improve the overall accessibility and user experience of the report.

The other options serve different purposes; for instance, ORDER= determines how the data is sorted, SORT= affects the sorting order of entries, and DISPLAY= indicates which variables are visually included in the report. However, none of these directly control the width of the report columns, making the WIDTH= option the correct choice for this question.