Glossary: Glossary

Glossary

access control list: a list of users and the type of access each user has to a file or directory. An access control list is associated with every file and directory.
ACL: See access control list
active window: a window that is open and displayed, and to which keyboard input is directed. Only one window can be active at a time.
aggregate syntax: a convenient way of referring to individual files in a single directory or folder. Instead of assigning a unique fileref to each file, you assign a fileref to the directory or folder. Then, to refer to a specific file in that folder, you enclose the filename in parentheses following the fileref. In the OpenVMS operating environment, aggregate syntax is used in the FILE, INFILE, and %INCLUDE statements.
ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange): a 7-bit character encoding that is the U.S. national variant of the ISO 646 standard. The ASCII encoding includes the upper- and lowercase letters A-Z, digits, symbols (such as &, #, and mathematical symbols), punctuation marks, and control characters. This set of 128 characters is also included in most other encodings. See also EBCDIC (Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code) and encoding.
ASCII collating sequence: the rules that are used by a specific ASCII encoding for sorting textual data. Sort order is determined by the location of each code point in the code page of an ASCII encoding. In the Windows Latin1 code page, the sort order of precedence is punctuation characters, numbers, uppercase characters, and lowercase characters. Because the uppercase A (code point 41) precedes the lowercase g (code point 67), A is sorted before g. See also ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) and EBCDIC collating sequence.
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 terminal or workstation, and 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. Under OpenVMS, a Status window that is associated with the SAS job indicates which SAS job is running and tells you which device or files the log file and the procedure output file will be routed to.
buffer: an area of computer memory that is reserved for use in performing input/output (I/O) operations.
captive account: a type of OpenVMS account that limits the user to the commands that are listed in the LOGIN.COM file.
catalog: See SAS catalog.
client: (1) a computer or application that requests services, data, or other resources from a server. (2) in DECwindows, a requestor of visual services. For example, SAS is a client because it requests windows to be created, results to be displayed, and so on. See also server.
command file: a file that contains operating system commands to be executed in sequence. Under OpenVMS, command files usually have a .COM file extension.
command procedure: an OpenVMS file that contains DCL commands, which are processed sequentially when the file is executed. The file extension for command procedures is .COM.
command prompt: the symbol after which you enter operating system commands. Under OpenVMS, the default command prompt is $.
converting SAS files: the process of changing the format of a SAS file from the format that is appropriate for one version of SAS to the format that is appropriate for another version in the same operating environment.
current directory: the directory that you are working in at any given time. When you log on, your current directory is the starting point for relative pathnames. See also working directory.
DCL: See Digital Command Language.
DECwindows: a windowing interface that is based on the X Window System.
default directory: the directory that you are working in at any given time. When you log in, your default directory is usually your home directory.
Digital Command Language: the command language that is used in the OpenVMS operating environment. Short form: DCL.
directory: a named subdivision on a disk or diskette, used in organizing files. A directory also contains information about the file, such as size and date of last change.
download: to copy a file from a remote host to a local host.
drag: in a graphical user interface, to move an object such as an icon or a window around on a display screen. To drag the object, you usually use a mouse button to select the object, and then move the mouse while keeping the mouse button pressed down.
EBCDIC (Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code): a group of 8-bit character encodings that each include up to 256 characters. EBCDIC is used on IBM mainframes and on most IBM mid- range computers, and it includes both graphic (printable) codes and control (nonprintable) codes. See also ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) and encoding.
encoding: a set of characters (letters, logograms, digits, punctuation, symbols, control characters, and so on) that have been mapped to numeric values (called code points) that can be used by computers. The code points are assigned to the characters in the character set by applying an encoding method.
engine/host option: an option that is specified in a LIBNAME statement. Engine/host options specify attributes that apply to all SAS data sets in a SAS library.
external file: a file that is created and maintained by a host operating system or by another vendor's software application. SAS can read data from and route output to external files. External files can contain raw data, SAS programming statements, procedure output, or output that was created by the PUT statement. A SAS data set is not an external file. See also fileref (file reference).
fatal error: an error that causes a program to end abnormally or that prevents the program from starting.
file extension: the classification of a file in a directory that identifies what type of information is stored in the file. For example, .sas7bcat is the file extension for UNIX, and .pdf is the file extension for Adobe Acrobat.
file type: the classification of a file in an OpenVMS directory that identifies what type of information is stored in the file. For example, SASEB$CATALOG is the file type for SAS catalogs. See also member type.
filename: the identifier that is used for a file. The filename includes the file extension, as in PROFILE.SC2. See also fully qualified name.
fileref (file reference): a name that is temporarily assigned to an external file or to an aggregate storage location such as a directory or a folder. The fileref identifies the file or the storage location to SAS. Under OpenVMS, you can assign a fileref with a FILENAME statement, with the SET system option, or from the New File Shortcut dialog box in the SAS Explorer window. See also logical name.
font: a complete set of all the characters of the same design and style. The characters in a font can be figures or symbols as well as alphanumeric characters.
fully qualified name: an OpenVMS filename that specifies how the file fits into the file structure. A fully qualified name contains specifications for node, device, directory, filename, file type, and version. VMSMB::MUAO: [MYDIR] MYFILE.SAS;3 is an example of a fully qualified name.
gravity: See session gravity
home directory: under OpenVMS and UNIX operating systems, the directory in which a user is placed after logging in. The home directory is also called the login directory.
icon: in windowing environments, a pictorial representation of an object. An icon usually represents an application window or is associated with an action such as printing or filing.
index: a component of a SAS data set that enables SAS to access observations in the SAS data set quickly and efficiently. The purpose of SAS indexes is to optimize WHERE-clause processing and to facilitate BY-group processing.
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.
libref (library reference): a name that is temporarily associated with a SAS library. The complete name of a SAS file consists of two words, separated by a period. The libref, which is the first word, indicates the library. The second word is the name of the specific SAS file. For example, in VLIB.NEWBDAY, the libref VLIB tells SAS which library contains the file NEWBDAY. You assign a libref with a LIBNAME statement or with an operating system command.
local node: the computer that you are currently logged in to.
logical name: under OpenVMS, an equivalence string that is created with the DEFINE command or with the ASSIGN command. Logical names are associated with file specifications, device names, or other logical names. Logical names can be used on the command line, in command files, or in programs. Logical names are stored in the logical name table.
logical name table: a table that contains each logical name and the equivalence string that is associated with each logical name. See also logical name.
login directory: See home directory
login file: the file that contains the DCL commands and utilities that are commonly used at your site. When you log in, OpenVMS automatically executes the commands in this file. Under OpenVMS, the login file is called LOGIN.COM and is located in your home directory.
member: (1) a SAS file in a SAS library. (2) under OpenVMS, a component of an OpenVMS text library.
member name: a name that is assigned to a SAS file in a SAS library. Under OpenVMS, the member name is the same as the filename for files that are stored in a SAS library.
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.
menu: a window object that presents choices to users. In SAS software, menus include menu bars, block menus, and selection lists.
network: an interconnected group of computers.
node: a computer on a network.
noninteractive mode: a method of running SAS programs in which you prepare a file of SAS statements and submit the program to the operating system. The program runs immediately and comprises your current session.
ODS-5 syntax: a file-naming convention that was introduced for OpenVMS Release 7.2. ODS-5 syntax allows longer filenames, supports more legal characters within filenames, preserves case within a filename, and supports deeper directory structures. This syntax is supported only on volumes for which ODS-5 has been enabled.
path: the route through a hierarchical file system that leads to a particular file or directory.
pop-up menu: a menu that appears when it is requested. These menus are context-specific, depending on which window is active and on the cursor location. See also menu.
Record Management Services (RMS): a group of OpenVMS procedures that applications use for processing files as well as records within files.
remote node: any computer on a network other than the computer that you are currently logged in to.
resource: in system performance, a part of the computer system, such as memory or CPU time.
resource file: See X resource file
RMS: See Record Management Services (RMS)
SAS catalog: a SAS file that stores many different kinds of information in smaller units called catalog entries. A single SAS catalog can contain several types of catalog entries.
SAS library: a collection of one or more files that are recognized by SAS and that are referenced and stored as a unit. Each file is a member of the library.
SAS windowing environment: an interactive windowing interface to SAS software. In this environment you can issue commands by typing them on the command line, by pressing function keys, or by selecting items from menus or menu bars. Within one session, you can perform many different tasks, including preparing and submitting programs, viewing and printing results, and debugging and resubmitting programs.
SASUSER.PROFILE catalog: a SAS catalog in which SAS stores information about attributes of your SAS windowing environment. For example, this catalog contains function-key definitions, fonts for graphics applications, window attributes, and other information that is used by interactive SAS procedures.
sequential access: a method of file access in which the records are read or written one after the other from the beginning of the file to the end.
server: (1) in a network, a computer that is reserved for servicing other computers in the network. Servers can provide several types of services, such as file services and communication services. Servers can also enable users to access shared resources such as disks, data, and modems. (2) in DECwindows, a provider of visual services. A server is capable of being shared between, and providing services to, several clients at one time. See also client.
session gravity: in the X Window interface and the DECwindows interface to SAS, the resource that controls the region of the workstation display in which SAS attempts to place its windows.
session ID: a number from 1 to 99 that appears in the window title bar of each SAS window when using the DECwindows interface to SAS. The session ID enables you to differentiate between SAS windows when running multiple SAS sessions.
session workspace: in the X Window interface to SAS, a component that defines a rectangular region that represents a virtual screen in which SAS windows are initially created and constrained. By default, SAS windows are placed in this workspace area relative to the upper-left corner of the rectangular region.
subprocess: a process that is started within another process. If you terminate the initial process, then the subprocess will also end.
swap: to move data or program code from a computer system's main memory to a storage device such as a hard disk, or vice versa.
swapping: See swap
Text Processing Utility (TPU) editor: a native VAX editor that you can access with SAS.
toggle: an option, parameter, or other mechanism that enables you to turn on or turn off a processing feature.
toolbox: a part of the SAS windowing environment in which you can place icons that you can associate with SAS commands or macros. Selecting an icon executes its associated command or string of commands.
UAF: See user authorization file (UAF)
UIC: See user identification code (UIC)
Universal Printing: a feature of SAS software that enables you to send SAS output to PDF, Postscript, GIF, PNG, SVG, and PCL files, as well as directly to printers. The Universal Printing system also provides many options that enable you to customize your output, and it is available in all of the operating environments that SAS supports.
upload: to copy a file from the local host to the remote host.
user authorization file (UAF): a file that contains the user ID, password, default disk, default directory, and user identification code for each user on the system. OpenVMS accesses this file during the login procedure to verify your user ID, password, and directory permissions. See also user identification code (UIC).
user identification code (UIC): a numeric code that specifies what type of access privileges an OpenVMS user has. Each UIC consists of a member identifier and can include a group identifier. The UIC is stored in the user authorization file. See also user authorization file (UAF).
window session ID: See session ID
working directory: the directory in which a software application is invoked.
X resource file: in the X Window System, a file that stores attribute specifications for the windowing environment, such as color, gravity, font types and sizes, and window sizes.

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