Considerations for Manually Editing Code
Before You Manually Edit Code
The code generation features in SAS Visual Data Builder can generate
a lot of SAS statements with a few simple clicks. Depending on your
needs, you might benefit by using the Design tab for adding input tables, performing joins, and filtering data before you customize
the generated code.
Before you unlock the
code, you must perform the following steps:
-
On the Outputs tab, specify the information for the output table, including the table name, location, and library. If you do not specify the table name or the table name is already in use, then you will not be able to save the data query.
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(Optional) Specify the following optional settings, if needed:
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On the Properties tab, select Unique values to determine whether the DISTINCT keyword is included in the generated PROC SQL statement. After you unlock the code, Unique values cannot be selected to include the keyword.
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On the Properties tab, select Append data to enable you to use the generated SAS statements for appending data to the output table.
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-
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Save the data query by clicking
. When you save the data query, the metadata for the table is registered. If you do not save the query before unlocking the code,
you will receive empty columns when you run the query.
See Also
Table and Column Metadata
After unlocking the code and saving it, the columns in the output table are removed
from metadata. This is because the data builder uses the columns selected on the Design tab to create column metadata, and those column selections are no longer available after you unlock the view on
the Code tab.
When you run the unlocked data query, the column metadata is registered as part of
running the code. However, the columns might not be visible
in the data builder immediately because the table metadata (without any columns) is cached in the application.
If you did not save
the query at least one time before unlocking the code, you will receive
empty columns when you run the query. Make sure that you save the
query before you unlock the code.
Input and Output Libraries
When you unlock the code for manual editing, you must specify the libraries to use
for your tables. You can do this with LIBNAME statements. If you dragged and dropped
the tables onto the workspace before you unlocked the code for manual editing, then the LIBNAME statements for
the tables are automatically included.
Validate Custom Code
If you entered SAS statements
in the Preprocess or Postprocess view,
then those statements are not validated when you click 
.
.
If you unlock the code
in the All Code view, then the button is disabled. You cannot validate customized
code.
button is disabled. You cannot validate customized
code.
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Last updated: January 8, 2019