SAS/Basics

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SAS

[edit] Why use SAS ?

SAS works directly on the database without loading it into memory. This allows you to manipulate large database such as census data.

EDITOR (F5): This is a text editor with syntax highlighting where you write your program. You can save your programme with the .sas extension.
LOG (F6): includes all informations about the computing process such as errors, warnings, computing time (cpu). You can save it with the .log extension.
OUTPUT (F7): This includes all the results. You can save it with the .lst extension.
EXPLORER (CTRL +D): browse all your SAS libraries and open datasets in the SAS data editor.
HELP (F1): Help system.

SAS includes procedures and data step. data steps generally create a new dataset and procedure step compute some quantity of interest using existing data.
Each step is ended with the run ; statement.
Semicolons ; are end of line delimiter.
SAS works directly on the database without loading it into memory. This allows you to manipulate large database.
F3 executes the current program or the selected lines of the program.
After executing a program, you first look at your log and then you can have a look at your results.
Comments begins with an are or are included between a slash and a star and a star and a slash :

* This is a comment ; 
/*This is also a comment */

The following lines are often useful at the beginning of a SAS program :

Libname : It is often useful to defines libname. A libname is nothing more than an alias for a directory.

libname lib_name 'c:/data/ee';

Options : the following line in head of a program makes it easier to read the log.

options errors=1 noovp pageno=1 ls=78;

Clean log and output windows : At the beginning of a program it is often convenient to clean the log and the output:

dm "CLEAR LOG ; CLEAR OUTPUT ; " ;

dm stands for "Display Manager"