First of all, an option only affects ODS PRINTER code when the option is specified before ODS PRINTER is initialized. (See FAQ 3338 for a list of system options that affect ODS PRINTER behavior.) For example, the following code creates two output files, portrait.pdf and landscape.pdf. You can see that ORIENTATION=LANDSCAPE affects the second file only.

  ods pdf file="portrait.pdf";
  options orientation=landscape;
  ods pdf (2) file="landscape.pdf";
  proc print data=sashelp.class;
  run;
  ods _all_ close;

A goption, by contrast, takes effect only when a graphics procedure is invoked; thus, a goption can be specified within an ODS PRINTER block to useful effect. One exception to this rule is the goption TARGETDEVICE which, for internal-logic reasons, cannot be changed in versions prior to 8.2. In 8.2, this one can be changed just like the others.

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