Book Reviews

Carpenter's Complete Guide to the SAS REPORT Procedure

978-1-59994-195-0

"I am green with envy for the newest generation of SAS programmers because I wish that I had had this book in front of me 20 years ago when I first started with SAS! Art's book gives a perspective on the REPORT procedure as no other user has done before by ingeniously intertwining his extensive knowledge of PROC REPORT with the experiences and unique approaches of over 100 PROC REPORT power users. His simple approach will give even the most novice SAS user the necessary tools to get started with PROC REPORT, and his nicely flowing buildup to PROC REPORT's more complex usability makes this book a jewel for the entire SAS community. Art's PROC REPORT book has, without a doubt, given all SAS users THE POWER TO KNOW®!"

Rick Mitchell
Senior Systems Analyst
Westat


"Carpenter's Complete Guide to the SAS® REPORT Procedure is written in Art's own friendly and comfortable style, reminiscent of his major works on the topic of the SAS® macro language. Topics and features are introduced on a schedule that echoes how one might actually need to learn them to get the job done. Manuals don't do that. They have their purpose as reference tools and they are certainly available when needed, but they are not typically productivity oriented. Art's book is.

This book would make a welcome addition to the bookshelves of any serious SAS programmer. I wish I had written it."

Ray Pass, Ph.D.
Ray Pass Consulting


"This is the single best resource for PROC REPORT. I'm a huge fan of improving my SAS skills through users group conferences, which is how I first learned PROC REPORT. The CD of conference papers on this topic is an additional bonus to this book."

Kim LeBouton
Independent Consultant
KJL Computing
SUGI 31 Conference Chair


"In his typical fashion, Art has taken on another facet of the SAS programming language and provided a book that clears up a number of misconceptions about the REPORT procedure.

Making the book even better is the logical approach not only to the training but also to the development of a document. Art starts with the very basics of the REPORT procedure to define the terms being used. From that point, he builds on the process by showing how to improve the look of the output produced through the COLUMN and DEFINE statements. After the user achieves some competence with these tools, Art introduces increasingly more complex topics, such as compute blocks, along with clear explanations of how SAS processes the statements.

Just like Carpenter's Complete Guide to the SAS® Macro Language, Second Edition, this is a must-have book for any SAS developer's reference library. "

Paul Slagle
Product Development Manager
BI Systems
i3 Global


"Having read Carpenter's Complete Guide to the SAS® Macro Language, Second Edition, I knew that this author was capable of presenting an exhaustive, in-depth, clever collection of tips, examples, and references on a variety of levels. This new book does not disappoint.

I am not a PROC REPORT programmer, yet I have been in the field for over 20 years. Art not only brought me up to speed on probably the most flexible reporting tool SAS has to offer, he has shown me how to integrate and leverage its use with other SAS resources (such as PROC TRANSPOSE, PROC SUMMARY, SAS graphics, and ODS: RTF, PDF, HTML, and XML). He has offered examples to build sophisticated yet simple reports that are eye catching and easily understood. "

Thomas L. Lehmann
Sr. Programmer/Analyst II
RDA Group Inc.


"This book is very user-friendly with good examples and provides a useful and easily understood way for readers to see, step by step, how to use PROC REPORT. As always, Art has done an outstanding job of conveying the 'how-to-do' approach."

Sue Douglas
Independent Consultant


"As an experienced SAS user, as well as an instructor of SAS, I find that this book is written well for the new user, but also includes wonderful gems for the experienced user."

Daphne Ewing
Sr. Director, Programming
Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Inc.


"Carpenter's Complete Guide to the SAS® REPORT Procedure is well written, easy to understand, and useful for the novice as well as the most advanced SAS user. Art's technique of using a spiral approach, starting off with the easiest examples and progressing to the most complex, is ideal.

This is a must-have book if you are a SAS user-period-no matter what level SAS user you are! At some point in your IT activities, you must create a report of some nature. This book will be an asset to you and your career by making you a better SAS IT professional. "

Charles Patridge
Sr. Data Engineer
Full Capture Solutions, Inc.