SAS Programming I: Essentials

Classroom duration: 3.0 days Live Web duration: 6 half-day sessions CEU: 1.8

This course is for users who want to learn how to write SAS programs. It is the entry point to learning SAS programming and is a prerequisite to many other SAS courses. If you do not plan to write SAS programs and you prefer a point-and-click interface, you should attend the Querying and Reporting Using SAS Enterprise Guide course.

Learn how to

navigate the SAS windowing environment
read various types of data into SAS data sets
create SAS variables and recode data values
create listing and summary reports
create and combine SAS data sets.

Who should attend

Anyone getting started writing SAS programs

Prerequisites

Before attending this course, you should have experience using computer software. Specifically, you should be able to

understand concepts such as file and variable
access data files on your operating system
understand programming logic concepts such as IF/THEN

No prior SAS experience is needed. If you do not feel comfortable with the prerequisites or are new to programming and think that the pace of this course might be too demanding, you can take the Introduction to Programming Concepts Using SAS Software course before attending this course. Introduction to Programming Concepts Using SAS Software is designed to introduce you to computer programming and presents a portion of the SAS Programming I: Essentials material at a slower pace.

Course Contents

Getting Started with SAS

overview of the SAS System
introduction to SAS programs
running SAS programs
mastering fundamental concepts
diagnosing and correcting syntax errors
exploring the SAS environment (self-study)

Getting Familiar with SAS Data Sets

explaining the concept of a SAS data library

Producing List Reports

getting started with the PRINT procedure
sequencing and grouping observations
identifying observations (self-study)
using special WHERE statement operators (self-study)

Enhancing Output

customizing report appearance
formatting data values
creating HTML reports

Creating SAS Data Sets

reading raw data files using column input and formatted input
examining data errors
assigning variable attributes
changing variable attributes (self-study)
reading Microsoft Excel spreadsheets (self-study)

Programming with the DATA Step

reading SAS data sets and creating variables
executing statements conditionally
dropping and keeping variables (self-study)
reading date fields from Microsoft Excel spreadsheets (self-study)

Combining SAS Data Sets

concatenating SAS data sets
merging SAS data sets
combining SAS data sets using additional features (self-study)

Producing Summary Reports

introduction to summary reports
generating basic summary reports
using the REPORT procedure
creating reports using the TABULATE procedure (self-study)

Introduction to Graphics using SAS/GRAPH Software (Self-Study)

producing bar and pie charts
enhancing output
producing plots

Additional Resources Using SAS Enterprise Guide

creating the files needed for the course
understanding functional areas in SAS Enterprise Guide
naming a project
working with existing code
resizing windows in SAS Enterprise Guide
modifying code
executing SAS code
viewing SAS Enterprise Guide output
diagnosing and correcting syntax errors
creating SAS programs
accessing data sources with the LIBNAME statement
renaming a code node in the Process Flow window
submitting programs
saving projects
the Output Delivery System (ODS) and SAS Enterprise Guide
copying SAS programs within a project

Introduction to Graphics Using SAS Enterprise Guide

producing and modifying a vertical bar chart
producing and modifying a pie chart
producing a horizontal bar chart
producing a two-dimensional plot

Software Addressed

This course addresses the following software product(s): Base SAS. This course also addresses SAS/GRAPH software. This course is appropriate for students who are using SAS 8 or SAS 9 software.

Classroom Course Materials

Students receive a hardcopy of the course notes and, in some courses, can choose to take home a copy of the course data.

Live Web Course Materials

Students attend Live Web classes using a Web browser and a telephone and interact with their instructor and fellow classmates in real time. Each student receives an e-mail with instructions on how to join the class three business days before the class begins. The instructions e-mail includes a link to download the course materials, including the exercise files. Students need to download and print the course materials prior to class.

System Requirements

For Live Web, you must

review and follow the general system requirements.
complete the course exercises through our virtual lab. The virtual lab allows you to access the software used in class over the Internet, so that you do not need this software on your local machine.
run this test to connect to a virtual lab session. If firewall problems prevent you from connecting to the virtual lab, then you will need the following software installed and configured in your environment to participate in the course exercises:
- Base SAS 9 or 8.2 under a Windows operating system or SAS Learning Edition.
  Important:
  - Students using SAS Learning Edition will need to create a shortcut to the SAS windowing environment (SAS Explorer, Enhanced Editor, Log, and Output windows) for use during the class. Follow these instructions for creating a shortcut to SAS prior to class.
  - If you are using Enterprise Guide rather than writing SAS programs in the Enhanced Editor, this class is not an appropriate offering.

Registration

To register for this course in the US, call 800-333-7660 or visit support.sas.com/training. This course is also available for on-site training, or you can create a custom course by combining material from several courses. For more details, contact SAS Education in Cary, NC at 919-531-7321 or send e-mail to training@sas.com.