Which option would you use to obtain variable attributes within a dataset in SAS?

To obtain variable attributes within a dataset in SAS, utilizing PROC CONTENTS is the most effective choice. PROC CONTENTS provides comprehensive information about the dataset's variables, including their names, types (character or numeric), lengths, formats, and labels. This detailed overview makes it an essential procedure for examining the structure of a dataset.

In contrast, other procedures don't specifically focus on retrieving variable attributes. For example, PROC PRINT is primarily used for displaying the data within the dataset, while PROC SORT organizes the data based on specified criteria. PROC SUMMARY is designed to generate summary statistics for numeric variables, which does not provide the full range of variable attributes that PROC CONTENTS offers. Hence, PROC CONTENTS stands out as the appropriate tool for reviewing the characteristics of the variables in a dataset.