What happens if you do not specify the SPLIT= option in column headings?

When the SPLIT= option is not specified in column headings, default line breaks are applied based on the content of the headings and the width of the output area. This means that SAS will automatically determine where to break the text to fit the designated header space, ensuring that the headings remain readable and organized. The process helps maintain clarity in reports or output by preventing any potential overflow of text beyond the available column width.

The other options present scenarios that do not occur when the SPLIT= option is omitted. For example, merging all columns into one would result in the loss of differentiation between the data fields, which is not the intended behavior when managing column headings. Displaying no column headings would reduce the understanding of the data but is not the default action in the absence of the SPLIT= option. Additionally, generating error messages would imply a failure in the code execution due to a missing or incorrect specification, which does not apply here. Therefore, the automatic application of default line breaks is the expected behavior when SPLIT= is not used.