Which statement is false regarding a hash object?

A hash object in SAS is indeed an in-memory data structure that serves to facilitate fast data retrieval operations. It contains key and data components, allowing for an efficient way to store and lookup data based on those keys. Both key and data components can be numeric, character, or any combination of these types, offering great flexibility in how information is stored and accessed.

The false statement regarding hash objects is that the data must be in sorted order by the key components. This is not a requirement for hash objects. Unlike some other data structures or storage mechanisms where sorting is necessary for operations like searching or merging, hash objects utilize a hashing algorithm to index the data. This means that entries can be added and accessed without the need for sorting, which is one of the key advantages of using a hash object.

A hash object is created at execution time, which allows for dynamic and efficient data processing during program execution. This means that the hash object is built in memory based on the data being processed at that moment, matching the flexible nature of hash objects designed for rapid access and manipulation of data.