What Is the SAS System?

Running Programs in the SAS Windowing Environment

You can run most programs in this documentation by using any of the methods that are described in the previous sections. This documentation uses the SAS windowing environment (as it appears on Windows and UNIX operating environments) when it is necessary to show programming within a SAS session. The SAS windowing environment appears differently depending on the operating environment that you use. For more information about the SAS windowing environment, see Using the SAS Windowing Environment.

The following example gives a brief overview of a SAS session that uses the SAS windowing environment. When you invoke SAS, the following windows appear.

SAS Windowing Environment

[SAS Windowing Environment]

The specific window placement, display colors, messages, and some other details vary according to your site, your monitor, and your operating environment. The window on the left side of the display is the SAS Explorer window, which you can use to assign and locate SAS libraries, files, and other items. The window at the top right is the Log window; it contains the SAS log for the session. The window at the bottom right is the Program Editor window. This window provides an editor in which you edit your SAS programs.

To create the program for the health and fitness club, type the statements in the Program Editor window. You can turn line numbers on or off to facilitate program creation. The following display shows the beginning of the program.

Editing a Program in the Program Editor Window

[Editing a Program in the Program Editor Window]

When you fill the Program Editor window, scroll down to continue typing the program. When you finish editing the program, submit it to SAS and view the output. (If SAS does not create output, check the SAS log for error messages.)

The following displays show the first and second pages of the Output window.

The First Page of Output in the Output Window

[The First Page of Output in the Output Window]

The Second Page of Output in the Output Window

[The Second Page of Output in the Output Window]

After you finish viewing the output, you can return to the Program Editor window to begin creating a new program.

By default, the output from all submissions remains in the Output window, and all statements that you submit remain in memory until the end of your session. You can view the output at any time, and you can recall previously submitted statements for editing and resubmitting. You can also clear a window of its contents.

All the commands that you use to move through the SAS windowing environment can be executed as words or as function keys. You can also customize the SAS windowing environment by determining which windows appear, as well as by assigning commands to function keys. For more information about customizing the SAS windowing environment, see Customizing the SAS Environment.

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