What does the MISsover statement do in SAS?

The MISsover statement in SAS is utilized during data input to manage how the program handles records with missing values. Specifically, it prevents SAS from moving to the next record when it encounters a missing value in the current record. Instead, it keeps the current position in the input buffer, allowing the program to input the next variable from the same line of data. This is particularly important when working with fixed-format data, where you want to ensure that any missing data does not inadvertently cause the program to skip the rest of the current input line.

This behavior allows the code to more accurately read and handle the input when certain fields may not have values. If the MISsover statement were not used, SAS would default to assuming the record was complete and would advance to the next record even in the presence of missing data, which could lead to inaccurate data processing. The correct answer reflects this functionality of the MISsover statement, enhancing the data handling process in SAS.