What's New in SAS 9.3 System Options

Overview

The SAS system options documentation is no longer part of SAS Language Reference: Dictionary. See Changes to SAS Language Reference: Dictionary. The SAS system options that were previously documented in SAS Language Reference: Dictionary are now documented here, in SAS System Options: Reference.
For easy access to all system options documentation, SAS System Options: Reference also contains the GETOPTION function, the system option procedures OPTIONS, OPTLOAD, and OPTSAVE, and links to system options that are documented in other publications.
New and enhanced features enable you to do the following:
  • use checkpoint mode and restart mode for labeled code sections
  • reset system options to their start-up or default values
  • create a directory that is named in a LIBNAME statement
  • use expanded rules for naming SAS data sets, SAS data views, and item store names
  • change the page orientation (portrait or landscape) within a file using the ODS PRINTER destination
  • control the autocorrection of SAS names
  • specify the UTC offset in e-mail
  • specify the encoding for the URLENCODE and URLDECODE functions
  • use enhancements to the GETOPTION function, system options, and the OPTIONS procedure
  • specify the size of the View buffer
  • in the second maintenance release for SAS 9.3, the EVENTDS= option is new. The EVENTDS= option enables you to specify event data sets.
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Use Checkpoint Mode and Restart Mode for Labeled Code Sections

Batch programs that terminate before completing can be resubmitted starting at labeled code sections if checkpoint mode and restart mode for labeled code sections is enabled.
If the CHKPTCLEAN system option is set and your batch program completes successfully, the contents of the Work library are erased.

    Reset System Options to Their Start-up or Default Values

    You can reset a system option to the default shipped value or to the start-up value by using the GETOPTION function.
    You can use the DEFAULTVALUE option to obtain the default shipped value for a system option if you want to reset a system option to its default value.
    You can use the STARTUPVALUE option to obtain the value of a system option that was used to start SAS either on the command line or in a configuration file.

    Create a Directory That Is Named in a LIBNAME Statement

    When you specify the DLCREATEDIR system option, SAS creates a directory for the SAS library that is named in a LIBNAME statement if the directory does not exist.

    Use Expanded Rules for Naming SAS Data Sets, SAS Data Views, and Item Store Names

    When you run SAS in any execution mode other than the windowing environment, the rules for naming SAS data sets, data views, and item store names have been expanded to accommodate special and national characters.

    Change the Orientation of Pages within a File Using ODS PRINTER

    The ODS PRINTER destination now supports using the ORIENTATION= system option to change the page orientation within a file. The page orientation can be changed to portrait or landscape.

    Control Autocorrection of SAS Names

    Prior to SAS 9.3, SAS automatically attempted to correct misspelled procedure names, procedure keywords, and global statement names. You can use the NOAUTOCORRECT system option to specify that SAS is not to automatically correct these names.

    Specify the UTC Offset in E-mail

    For e-mail that is sent using the FILENAME statement EMAIL (SMTP) access method, specifies a UTC offset that is used in the Date header field of the e-mail message.

    Specify the Encoding for the URLENCODE and URLDECODE Functions

    Use the URLENCODING= system option to specify whether the argument to the URLENCODE function and to the URLDECODE function is interpreted using the SAS session encoding or UTF-8 encoding.

    Specify the Size of the View Buffer

    Use the VBUFSIZE= system option to set a global value for the size of the view buffer based on the number of bytes.

    Specify an Event Data Set

    In the second maintenance release for SAS 9.3, the EVENTDS= option is new. The EVENTDS= option enables you to specify event data sets.

    Enhancements to the GETOPTION Function

    Use the HEXVALUE option to return a system option value as a hexadecimal value.
    Use the LOGNUMBERFORMAT option to return a system option numeric value with the punctuation appropriate for a locale, such as a comma or a period.

    Enhancements to SAS System Options

    The following system options have been enhanced:
    APPEND=
    The APPEND= system option cannot be restricted. Also, you can now specify the AUTOEXEC= system option as a value to the APPEND= system option.
    DKRICOND=
    DKROCOND=
    These options are now part of the Error handling system options group as well as the SAS Files group.
    FMTSEARCH=
    If you specify the LOCALE option for a catalog specification, SAS searches the catalog that is associated with the current SAS locale.
    INSERT=
    The INSERT= system option cannot be restricted. Also, you can now specify the AUTOEXEC= system option as a value to the INSERT= system option.
    ORIENTATION=
    You can modify the page orientation for different documents in an output file whose destination is an ODS destination or a universal printer.
    VALIDVARNAME=
    When VALIDVARNAME=V7 and the variable name is an n literal in a procedure step, the variable name is left-justified and trailing blanks are ignored.
    VARLENCHK=
    The VARLENCHK= system option indicates that BY variables are not affected by this system option.

    Enhancements to the OPTIONS Procedure

    These PROC OPTIONS statement options are new:
    LISTINSERTAPPEND
    This option lists the system options whose value can be modified by the INSERT and APPEND system options.
    LISTRESTRICT
    This option lists the system options that can be restricted by your site administrator.
    These PROC OPTIONS statement options have been enhanced:
    DEFINE
    Valid values for an option now display in the SAS log when you specify the DEFINE option.
    OPTION=
    The OPTION= option now accepts one or more options.
    VALUE
    If the option was set by a configuration file, the name of the configuration file that set the option now displays in the SAS log when you specify the VALUE option.

    System Options That Have Moved to Other Documentation

    You can find the system options for the following SQL options in the SAS SQL Query Window User's Guide:
    • SQLCONSTDATETIME
    • SQLREDUCTPUT=
    • SQLREDUCTPUTOBS=
    • SQLREDUCTPUTVALUES=
    • SQLREMERGE
    • SQLUNDOPOLICY=
    The UNIVERSALPRINT system option is now documented in the SAS Companion for Windows.

    Changes to SAS Language Reference: Dictionary

    Prior to SAS 9.3, this document was part of SAS Language Reference: Dictionary. Starting with SAS 9.3, SAS Language Reference: Dictionary has been divided into seven documents:
    • SAS Data Set Options: Reference
    • SAS Formats and Informats: Reference
    • SAS Functions and CALL Routines: Reference
    • SAS Statements: Reference
    • SAS System Options: Reference
    • SAS Component Objects: Reference (contains the documentation for the Hash Object and the Java Object)
    • Base SAS Utilities: Reference (contains the documentation for the SAS DATA step debugger and the SAS Utility macro %DS2CSV)
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