Glossary: Glossary

Glossary

access descriptor: a SAS/ACCESS file that describes data that is managed by a data management system. After creating an access descriptor, you can use it as the basis for creating one or more view descriptors. See also SAS data view, view descriptor.
area: an entity-type that consists of a collection of information in the CA-DATADICTIONARY database.
batch mode: a method of executing SAS programs in which a file that contains SAS statements plus any necessary operating environment commands is submitted to the computer's batch queue. After you submit the program, control returns to your personal computer or workstation, where you can perform other tasks. Batch mode is sometimes referred to as running in the background. The program output can be written to files or printed on an output device.
browsing data: the process of viewing the contents of a file. Depending on how the file is accessed, you can view SAS data either one observation (row) at a time or as a group in a tabular format. You cannot update data that you are browsing.
CA-DATADICTIONARY database: a collection of CA-DATACOM/DB tables that have been organized within certain CA-DATACOM/DB areas and files. The records in each table contain one or more FIELD entity-occurrences.
column: in relational databases, a vertical component of a table. Each column has a unique name, contains data of a specific type, and has certain attributes. A column is analogous to a variable in SAS terminology. In CA-DATACOM/DB, columns are created from fields.
compound field: a field that contains two or more simple fields or compound fields that are contiguous. A compound field can contain data of different types and lengths. Compound fields can also be repeated or can be contained by other fields. See also simple field.
data management system: an integrated software application that enables you to create and manipulate data in the form of databases.
data type: in a CA-DATACOM/DB database, a classification according to the representation of the values to be stored. The data type is an attribute of every field. It tells CA-DATACOM/DB how much physical storage to set aside for the field and the type of data the field will contain. CA-DATACOM/DB allows 16 different types of character and numeric data. The CA-DATACOM/DB data type is similar to the type attribute of SAS variables.
data value: in CA-DATACOM/DB, a character value or numeric value that is stored in a field.
database: an organized collection of related data. A database usually contains named files, named objects, or other named entities such as tables, views, and indexes. In CA-DATACOM/DB, a database is an entity-type that contains areas, files, records, and fields. Each DATABASE entity-occurrence has a name and attributes in the CA-DATADICTIONARY database.
database management system (DBMS): a software application that enables you to create and manipulate data that is stored in the form of databases. See also relational database management system.
descriptor file: a type of SAS/ACCESS file that is used to establish a connection between SAS and files that are created and maintained by other software applications. Descriptor files describe data to SAS. To create descriptor files, you use the ACCESS procedure. There are two types of descriptor files: access descriptors and view descriptors. See also access descriptor, view descriptor.
editing data: the process of viewing the contents of a file with the intent and the ability to change those contents. Depending on how the file is accessed, you can view the data either one observation at a time or in a tabular format.
element: a CA-DATACOM/DB unit of transfer between application programs and CA-DATACOM/DB. An element consists of one or more contiguous CA-DATACOM/DB fields.
engine: a component of SAS software that reads from or writes to a file. Each engine enables SAS to access files that are in a particular file format. There are several types of engines. See also interface library engine, library engine, native library engine, view engine.
engine: a component of SAS software that reads from or writes to a file. Each engine enables SAS to access files that are in a particular file format. There are several types of engines. See also interface view engine.
entity-occurrence: an instance of a particular entity-type. For example, defining a database involves storing information about the database in a DATABASE occurrence. Each database is listed by its unique name as an occurrence of the DATABASE entity.
entity-type: any of the following data structures in which CA-DATACOM/DB data can be stored: databases, areas, fields, records, and elements.
field: the vertical component of a CA-DATACOM/DB table, which other software vendors refer to as a column or as a variable. There are four types of fields: key field, simple field, compound field, and repeating field. Each field has a name as well as specific attributes such as data type and length.
file: In CA-DATACOM/DB, each database contains one or more FILE entity- occurrences that comprise specific records, fields, and elements. Each FILE entity-occurrence requires a unique name and specific attributes in the CA-DATADICTIONARY database.
format, column: an instruction that SAS uses to display or write each value of a variable. Some formats are supplied by SAS software. You can create your own formats by using the FORMAT procedure in Base SAS software.
index: in other software vendors' databases, a named object that directs the DBMS to the storage location of a particular data value for a particular column. Some DBMSs have additional specifications. These indexes are also used to optimize the processing of WHERE clauses and joins. Depending on the SAS interface to a database product and how selection criteria are specified, SAS might be able to use the indexes of the DBMS to speed data retrieval. In CA-DATCOM/DB, an index contains an entry for each key value in each record in a database. If a field is not indexed, the values are not indexed. However, the fields and key values can still be searched sequentially.
informat, column: an instruction that SAS uses to read raw data values to create variable values. Some informats are supplied by SAS software. Other informats can be written by the user with the FORMAT procedure in Base SAS software.
interactive line mode: a method of running SAS programs in which you enter one line of a SAS program at a time at the SAS session prompt. SAS processes each line immediately after you press the ENTER or RETURN key. Procedure output and informative messages are returned directly to your display device.
interface view engine: a SAS engine that retrieves data directly from files that have been formatted by another vendor's software and which presents the data to SAS in the form of a SAS data set. Interface view engines are transparent to users and are not specified in LIBNAME statements. See also engine.
key: in CA-DATACOM/DB, a field that enables you to quickly select and sequence data records. A key can be any combination of simple and compound fields and can be up to 180 characters long. The fields in the key do not have to be contiguous. See also Native Key, Master Key.
Master Key: a field that enables you to prevent values in a key field from being duplicated and to prevent values in that key from being changed. Each record must have one Master Key. The Master Key can also be the Native Key.
member: a SAS file in a SAS library.
member name: a name that is assigned to a SAS file in a SAS library. See also member type.
member type: a SAS name that identifies the type of information that is stored in a SAS file. Member types include ACCESS, AUDIT, DMBD, DATA, CATALOG, FDB, INDEX, ITEMSTOR, MDDB, PROGRAM, UTILITY, and VIEW.
missing value: in a CA-DATACOM/DB database, missing values are always represented by a blank space.
Multi-User environment: a CA-DATACOM/DB execution environment in which several users access a database at the same time, with queries and updates being handled simultaneously by a single copy of the software. See also single-user environment.
Native Key: a field that determines the order of the records in a CA-DATACOM/DB table. Each table must have one Native Key. The Native Key can also be the Master Key.
record: the horizontal component of a CA-DATACOM/DB table. A record is a set of fields that are treated as a unit. Records within a table are ordered by the Native Key. A record is analogous to a SAS row.
relational database management system: a database management system that organizes and accesses data according to relationships between data items. The main characteristic of a relational database management system is the two-dimensional table. Examples of relational database management systems are DB2, Oracle, Sybase, and Microsoft SQL Server.
repeating field: a simple field or compound field that can occur more than once. Repeating fields can be nested within other repeating fields.
row: a collection of data values that are associated with a single entity such as a customer or a state. Each row contains one data value for each variable.
SAS data file: a type of SAS data set that contains data values as well as descriptor information that is associated with the data. The descriptor information includes information such as the data types and lengths of the variables, as well as the name of the engine that was used to create the data. See also SAS data set, SAS data view.
SAS data set: a file whose contents are in one of the native SAS file formats. There are two types of SAS data sets: SAS data files and SAS data views. SAS data files contain data values in addition to descriptor information that is associated with the data. SAS data views contain only the descriptor information plus other information that is required for retrieving data values from other SAS data sets or from files whose contents are in other software vendors' file formats.
SAS data view: a type of SAS data set that retrieves data values from other files. A SAS data view contains only descriptor information such as the data types and lengths of the variables (columns), plus other information that is required for retrieving data values from other SAS data sets or from files that are stored in other software vendors' file formats. SAS data views can be created by the ACCESS and SQL procedures, as well as by the SAS DATA step.
simple field: a single CA-DATACOM/DB field. See also compound field.
single-user environment: a CA-DATACOM/DB execution environment in which each user has a copy of CA-DATACOM/DB and has exclusive use of any database that he or she is currently accessing. See also multi-user environment.
table: In CA-DATACOM/DB, the combination of one FILE entity-occurrence and one RECORD entity-occurrence describes a table.
URT (User Requirements Table): See User Requirements Table (URT).
user ID: a string of characters that a user must specify correctly in order to gain access to the CA-DATADICTIONARY database.
User Requirements Table (URT): a load module that is required by CA-DATACOM/DB. The URT is loaded by the interface view engine and is passed to CA-DATACOM/DB when a table is opened. It contains information about how the table is to be accessed. Various values in the URT, such as the number and size of buffers, can affect performance.
variable: In the ACCESS procedure, variables are created from the database product's columns or fields.
view: a generic term (used by many software vendors) for a definition of a virtual data set (or table). The definition is named and stored for later use. A view contains no data; it merely describes or defines data that is stored elsewhere. See also SAS data view.
view descriptor: The subset consists of selected records in a CA-DATACOM/DB table.
windowing procedure: a SAS procedure that you can use by entering information in one or more windows or dialog boxes. For example, the FSVIEW procedure is a windowing procedure. Some procedures, such as ACCESS and DBLOAD, can be used either as windowing procedures or in batch mode.

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