> From: Peter Flom
> Sent: Friday, November 20, 2009 4:00 PM
> Subject: Bad ways to code data
>
> Nat Wooding just wrote a post on the perils of using a
> numeric ID that had a decimal, pointing out that such data
> can be subject to rounding error ....
>
> That gave me an idea for a fun thread - bad ways to code data.
>
> The worst one I've seen recently is a guy who created an
> Excel file in which a blank could mean either 0 OR n/a,
> depending on which column it was in.  Oy vey!
>
> Peter

Proc Format library = Library fmtlib;

value NoYes 1 = 'No'
            2 = 'Yes';
*...;

value TrueFalse
            0 = 'false'
            1 = 'true';

value YesNo 1 = 'Yes'
            2 = 'No';

value YesNoMissing
            1 = 'Yes'
            2 = 'No'
          0,. = 'missing';

"Q: What's with the NoYes and YesNo?"

"A: That's the order in which the choices appeared on the data
collection form."

Ron Fehd  the boolean maven  CDC Atlanta GA USA RJF2 at cdc dot gov