UCM Procedure

ID Statement

ID variable INTERVAL=value <ALIGN=value> ;

The ID statement names a numeric variable that identifies observations in the input and output data sets. This statement is required. The values of the ID variable are assumed to be SAS date, time, or datetime values, or the ID variable values can signify the observation numbers within a sequence, such as 5 to indicate the fifth observation (for an example of an observation index as an ID variable, see Example 30.2). In addition, the ID statement specifies the frequency that is associated with the time series. The options also specify how to align the observations to form the time series. The INTERVAL= option is required. The values of the ID variable are extrapolated for the forecast observations on the basis of the values that you specify in the INTERVAL= option.

You must specify the following option:

INTERVAL=value: specifies the time interval between observations. This option is used in conjunction with the ID variable to verify that the input data are in the proper order and have no gaps. The option is also used to extrapolate the ID values past the end of the input data. For an ID variable that signifies the observation number within a sequence, specify INTERVAL=OBS. For more information about the supported intervals, see Chapter 4, Date Intervals, Formats, and Functions (SAS/ETS User's Guide).

You can also specify the following option:

ALIGN=value: controls the alignment of SAS dates that are used to identify output observations. You can specify the following values: BEGINNING | BEG | B, MIDDLE | MID | M, and ENDING | END | E. The default is BEGINNING. The ALIGN= option is used to align the ID variable with the beginning, middle, or end of the time ID interval that you specify in the INTERVAL= option.

Last updated: July 09, 2026