How is a standalone word identified within a larger string using the FINDW function?

The FINDW function in SAS is specifically designed to identify standalone words within a larger string. The correct answer emphasizes the importance of having spaces (or other delimiters) around the word being searched to ensure that it is recognized as a complete entity, rather than as a substring of another longer word.

When spaces (or other specified delimiters) are added before and after the word in the string, the FINDW function can accurately locate the target word by confirming that it does not connect to any other characters. This allows the function to differentiate between a matched word and instances where the word may just be part of another longer word. For example, searching for "cat" should return a standalone "cat" but not part of "catalog."

By requiring spaces around the word, FINDW helps in maintaining the integrity of word boundaries, ensuring precise string matching according to the definition of words within the context of the data being processed.