• Contents
  • About
  • Title Page
  • What's New in the Base SAS 9.3 Language Reference: Concepts
  • SAS System Concepts
    • Essential Concepts of Base SAS Software
      • What Is SAS?
      • Overview of Base SAS Software
      • Components of the SAS Language
      • Ways to Run Your SAS Session
      • Customizing Your SAS Session
      • Conceptual Information about Base SAS Software
    • SAS Processing
      • Definition of SAS Processing
      • Types of Input to a SAS Program
      • The DATA Step
      • The PROC Step
    • Rules for Words and Names in the SAS Language
      • Words in the SAS Language
      • Names in the SAS Language
    • SAS Variables
      • Definition of SAS Variables
      • SAS Variable Attributes
      • Ways to Create Variables
      • Variable Type Conversions
      • Aligning Variable Values
      • Automatic Variables
      • SAS Variable Lists
      • Dropping, Keeping, and Renaming Variables
      • Numeric Precision in SAS Software
    • Missing Values
      • Definition of Missing Values
      • Creating Special Missing Values
      • Order of Missing Values
      • When Variable Values Are Automatically Set to Missing by SAS
      • When Missing Values Are Generated by SAS
      • Working with Missing Values
    • Expressions
      • Definitions for SAS Expressions
      • Examples of SAS Expressions
      • SAS Constants in Expressions
      • SAS Variables in Expressions
      • SAS Functions in Expressions
      • SAS Operators in Expressions
    • Dates, Times, and Intervals
      • About SAS Date, Time, and Datetime Values
      • About Date and Time Intervals
    • Error Processing and Debugging
      • Types of Errors in SAS
      • Error Processing in SAS
      • Debugging Logic Errors in the DATA Step
    • SAS Output
      • Definitions for SAS Output
      • Routing and Customizing SAS Output
      • Sample SAS Output
      • The SAS Log
    • By-Group Processing in SAS Programs
      • Definition of BY-Group Processing
      • References for BY-Group Processing
    • WHERE-Expression Processing
      • Definition of WHERE-Expression Processing
      • Where to Use a WHERE Expression
      • Syntax of WHERE Expression
      • Combining Expressions by Using Logical Operators
      • Improving Performance of WHERE Processing
      • Processing a Segment of Data That Is Conditionally Selected
      • Deciding Whether to Use a WHERE Expression or a Subsetting IF Statement
    • Optimizing System Performance
      • Definitions for Optimizing System Performance
      • Collecting and Interpreting Performance Statistics
      • Techniques for Optimizing I/O
      • Techniques for Optimizing Memory Usage
      • Techniques for Optimizing CPU Performance
      • Calculating Data Set Size
    • Support for Parallel Processing
      • Definition of Parallel Processing
      • Threaded I/O
      • Threaded Application Processing
    • The SAS Registry
      • Introduction to the SAS Registry
      • Managing the SAS Registry
      • Configuring Your Registry
    • Printing with SAS
      • Universal Printing
      • Configuring Universal Printing Using the Windowing Environment
      • System Options That Control Universal Printing
      • Managing Universal Printers Using the PRTDEF Procedure
      • Forms Printing
      • Using Fonts with Universal Printers and SAS/GRAPH Devices
      • Creating EMF (Enhanced Metafile Format) Graphics Using Universal Printing
      • Creating GIF Images Using Universal Printing
      • Creating PCL (Printer Command Language) Files Using Universal Printing
      • Creating PDF Files Using Universal Printing
      • Creating PNG (Portable Network Graphics) Using Universal Printing
      • Creating SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) Files Using Universal Printing
  • Windowing Environment Concepts
    • Introduction to the SAS Windowing Environment
      • What Is the SAS Windowing Environment?
      • Main Windows in the SAS Windowing Environment
      • Navigating in the SAS Windowing Environment
      • Getting Help in SAS
      • List of SAS Windows and Window Commands
    • Managing Your Data in the SAS Windowing Environment
      • Introduction to Managing Your Data in the SAS Windowing Environment
      • Managing Data with SAS Explorer
      • Working with VIEWTABLE
      • Subsetting Data by Using the WHERE Expression
      • Exporting a Subset of Data
      • Importing Data into a Table
  • DATA Step Concepts
    • DATA Step Processing
      • Why Use a DATA Step?
      • Overview of DATA Step Processing
      • Processing a DATA Step: A Walk-through
      • About DATA Step Execution
      • About Creating a SAS Data Set with a DATA Step
      • Writing a Report with a DATA Step
      • The DATA Step and ODS
    • Reading Raw Data
      • Definition of Reading Raw Data
      • Ways to Read Raw Data
      • Types of Data
      • Sources of Raw Data
      • Reading Raw Data with the INPUT Statement
      • How SAS Handles Invalid Data
      • Reading Missing Values in Raw Data
      • Reading Binary Data
      • Reading Column-Binary Data
    • BY-Group Processing in the DATA Step
      • Definitions for BY-Group Processing
      • Syntax for BY-Group Processing
      • Understanding BY Groups
      • Invoking BY-Group Processing
      • Determining Whether the Data Requires Preprocessing for BY-Group Processing
      • Preprocessing Input Data for BY-Group Processing
      • How the DATA Step Identifies BY Groups
      • Processing BY-Groups in the DATA Step
    • Reading, Combining, and Modifying SAS Data Sets
      • Definitions for Reading, Combining, and Modifying SAS Data Sets
      • Overview of Tools
      • Reading SAS Data Sets
      • Combining SAS Data Sets: Basic Concepts
      • Combining SAS Data Sets: Methods
      • Error Checking When Using Indexes to Randomly Access or Update Data
    • Using DATA Step Component Objects
      • Introduction to DATA Step Component Objects
      • Using the Hash Object
      • Using the Hash Iterator Object
      • Using the Java Object
    • Array Processing
      • Definitions for Array Processing
      • A Conceptual View of Arrays
      • Syntax for Defining and Referencing an Array
      • Processing Simple Arrays
      • Variations on Basic Array Processing
      • Multidimensional Arrays: Creating and Processing
      • Specifying Array Bounds
      • Examples of Array Processing
  • SAS Files Concepts
    • SAS Libraries
      • Definition of a SAS Library
      • Library Engines
      • Library Names
      • Library Concatenation
      • Permanent and Temporary Libraries
      • SAS System Libraries
      • Sequential Data Libraries
      • Tools for Managing Libraries
    • SAS Data Sets
      • Definition of a SAS Data Set
      • Descriptor Information for a SAS Data Set
      • Data Set Names
      • Data Set Lists
      • Special SAS Data Sets
      • Sorted Data Sets
      • Tools for Managing Data Sets
      • Viewing and Editing SAS Data Sets
    • SAS Data Files
      • Definition of a SAS Data File
      • Differences between Data Files and SAS Views
      • Understanding the Observation Count in a SAS Data File
      • Understanding an Audit Trail
      • Understanding Generation Data Sets
      • Understanding Integrity Constraints
      • Understanding SAS Indexes
      • Compressing Data Files
      • Extending the Observation Count in a SAS Data File
    • SAS Views
      • Definition of SAS Views
      • Benefits of Using SAS Views
      • When to Use SAS Views
      • DATA Step Views
      • PROC SQL Views
      • Comparing DATA Step and PROC SQL Views
      • SAS/ACCESS Views
    • Stored Compiled DATA Step Programs
      • Definition of a Stored Compiled DATA Step Program
      • Uses for Stored Compiled DATA Step Programs
      • Restrictions and Requirements for Stored Compiled DATA Step Programs
      • How SAS Processes Stored Compiled DATA Step Programs
      • Creating a Stored Compiled DATA Step Program
      • Executing a Stored Compiled DATA Step Program
      • Differences between Stored Compiled DATA Step Programs and DATA Step Views
      • Example of DATA Step Program
    • DICTIONARY Tables
      • Definition of a DICTIONARY Table
      • How to View DICTIONARY Tables
    • SAS Catalogs
      • Definition of a SAS Catalog
      • SAS Catalog Names
      • Tools for Managing SAS Catalogs
      • Profile Catalog
      • Catalog Concatenation
    • About SAS/ACCESS Software
      • Definition of SAS/ACCESS Software
      • Dynamic LIBNAME Engine
      • SQL Procedure Pass-Through Facility
      • ACCESS Procedure and Interface View Engine
      • DBLOAD Procedure
      • Interface DATA Step Engine
    • Processing Data Using Cross-Environment Data Access (CEDA)
      • Definition of Cross-Environment Data Access (CEDA)
      • Advantages of CEDA
      • SAS File Processing with CEDA
      • Alternatives to Using CEDA
      • Creating Files in a Different Data Representation
      • Examples of Using CEDA
    • SAS 9.3 Compatibility with SAS Files from Earlier Releases
      • Introduction to Version Compatibility
      • Comparing SAS 9 to Earlier Releases
      • Using SAS Library Engines
    • File Protection
      • Definition of a Password
      • Assigning Passwords
      • Removing or Changing Passwords
      • Using Password-Protected SAS Files in DATA and PROC Steps
      • How SAS Handles Incorrect Passwords
      • Assigning Complete Protection with the PW= Data Set Option
      • Encoded Passwords
      • Using Passwords with Views
      • SAS Data File Encryption
    • SAS Engines
      • Definition of a SAS Engine
      • Specifying an Engine
      • How Engines Work with SAS Files
      • Engine Characteristics
      • About Library Engines
      • Special-Purpose Engines
    • SAS File Management
      • Improving Performance of SAS Applications
      • Moving SAS Files between Operating Environments
      • Repairing Damaged SAS Files
    • External Files
      • Definition of External Files
      • Referencing External Files Directly
      • Referencing External Files Indirectly
      • Referencing Many External Files Efficiently
      • Referencing External Files with Other Access Methods
      • Working with External Files
  • Industry Protocols Used in SAS
    • The SMTP E-Mail Interface
      • Sending E-Mail through SMTP
      • System Options That Control SMTP E-Mail
      • Statements That Control SMTP E-mail
    • Universal Unique Identifiers
      • Universal Unique Identifiers and the Object Spawner
      • Using SAS Language Elements to Assign UUIDs
    • Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6)
      • Overview of IPv6
      • IPv6 Address Format
      • Examples of IPv6 Addresses
      • Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDN)
  • Recommended Reading


ProductRelease
Base SAS9.3_M2
Type
Usage and Reference
Copyright Date
August 2012
Last Updated
31Jan2017