Usage Note 6354: Using Syncsort with the SAS System for Windows
Syncsort will be available for use in version 8.2 with hotfix
82ba21.
Syncsort is a sort routine that can be purchased from Syncsort, Inc. You
can use Syncsort as an alternative sorting algorithm to that provided by
the SAS System. To use Syncsort with the SAS System, complete the
following steps:
1. Install Syncsort on your system by following the instructions
provided by Syncsort, Inc.
2. Submit an options statement in a SAS session to specify the
Syncsort routine by following the instructions in the section
"Using Syncsort in a SAS Session."
Using Syncsort in a SAS Session
Once Syncsort is available, use the SORTPGM=HOST or SORTPGM=BEST options
statements to tell the SAS System when to use the Syncsort routine.
Note: The options statements throughout this section specify the syntax
to submit to the SAS System. You can also specify these options as
command line options and options in the config.sas file. Refer to the
"SAS
Companion for Microsoft Windows Environments."
Submit one of the following options statements in a SAS session:
/*tells the SAS System to always use Syncsort */
OPTIONS SORTPGM=HOST;
/*tells the SAS System to choose which sort is */
/* better in a given situation, the SAS System */
/* sort or Syncsort. */
OPTIONS SORTPGM=BEST;
Syncsort creates all temporary files in the SASWORK directory. You can
change this directory by using the option SORTDEV <dir>, where <dir> is
the directory you want the temporary files to be created in. For
example, submit the following statement if you want the temporary files
to be created in c:\temp\syncsort:
OPTIONS SORTPGM=BEST sortdev="c:\temp\syncsort";
Passing Options to Syncsort
You use the SORTANOM option to specify the options that you want to use
for Syncsort, as follows:
1. To run in multi-call mode instead of single-call mode:
OPTIONS SORTPGM=HOST SORTANOM=b
2. To print statistics (timing and resource information) in the SAS Log
about the sorting process:
OPTIONS SORTPGM=HOST SORTANOM=t;
3. To print in the SAS Log the commands that have been passed to
Syncsort:
OPTIONS SORTPGM=HOST SORTANOM=v;
4. To specify multiple options by concatenating the options:
OPTIONS SORTPGM=HOST SORTANOM=btv;
Note: Syncsort performance can be improved by adjusting the SORTSIZE.
SORTSIZE specifies the amount of memory available to the SORT procedure.
See SORTSIZE option in SAS help.
A Technical Support hot fix for Release 8.2 TSLEVEL TS2M0 for this
issue is available at:
http://www.sas.com/techsup/download/hotfix/82_sbcs_prod_list.html#006354
Operating System and Release Information
| SAS System | Base SAS | Microsoft Windows 95/98 | 8.2 TS2M0 | |
| Microsoft Windows NT Workstation | 8.2 TS2M0 | 9 TS M0 |
| Windows Millennium Edition (Me) | 8.2 TS2M0 | |
| Microsoft Windows 2000 Server | 8.2 TS2M0 | 9 TS M0 |
| Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server | 8.2 TS2M0 | 9 TS M0 |
| Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server | 8.2 TS2M0 | 9 TS M0 |
| Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional | 8.2 TS2M0 | 9 TS M0 |
*
For software releases that are not yet generally available, the Fixed
Release is the software release in which the problem is planned to be
fixed.
| Type: | Usage Note |
| Priority: | medium |
| Topic: | Common Programming Tasks ==> Sorting Data
|
| Date Modified: | 2002-04-23 17:02:17 |
| Date Created: | 2001-11-26 14:26:56 |