Tour 1: Getting Acquainted with SAS/IntrNet Software

SAS/IntrNet software extends SAS software's powerful data retrieval and analysis functionality to the Web. SAS/IntrNet software is a suite of CGI and Java tools that let you create and deploy Web-enabled reports and applications. Whether you are building Internet, intranet, or extranet applications, SAS/IntrNet software can assist you in delivering business critical information to users all over the world.

Application development and distribution

With SAS/IntrNet software, you can build applications that Web-enable SAS programs or use the power of Java, C, or SQL to access and process SAS data for the Web. The applications can either live on a single desktop or on a server. The Web browser is your user interface and the Web is your distribution media.

Both our CGI and Java components handle SAS communications transparently. Therefore, users of the CGI components do not need to know how to program in CGI, and Java users can concentrate on Java programming without worrying about SAS programming.

Report and information distribution

Your SAS/IntrNet application can generate and display static information that is provided for passive viewing, or it can generate reports on demand according to user needs. Organizations can share these reports with anyone who has access to a Web browser.

SAS/IntrNet software provides remote access to your organization's data and brings the computing power of SAS software to any desktop, regardless of whether SAS software is installed on the desktop or on a central server platform.

SAS/IntrNet software saves you time and resources by

• enabling you to turn existing SAS programs into Web applications

• handling communications with your SAS servers so you can focus your programming resources on the tasks that your organization needs to accomplish

• enabling you to build an application once and deliver it immediately to clients throughout your organization

• reducing application maintenance costs since a Web-enabled SAS/IntrNet application only needs to be updated on the server and not on multiple user machines that run multiple operating systems.

SAS/IntrNet software contains a variety of components that can either be used individually or in combination to address specific needs of a Web-enabled information delivery solution.

SAS/IntrNet components

• Application Dispatcher
• htmSQL
• SAS Design-Time Controls
• SAS/CONNECT driver for Java, which includes the SAS/SHARE driver for JDBC
• tunnel feature
• MDDB Report Viewer (application)

SAS/IntrNet sample applications

To get you started, we provide a selection of sample applications (for example, our sample Java applets, which are available with the Java tools package, and Xplore) that demonstrate the capabilities of SAS/IntrNet software. We also provide source code with our sample applications so you can use the code as a model or template for your own applications. Consult your component documentation to find the location of your samples and sample code.