The REPORT Procedure

Concepts: REPORT Procedure

Planning the Layout

Report writing is simplified if you approach it with a clear understanding of what you want the report to look like. The most important thing to determine is the layout of the report. To design the layout, ask yourself the following types of questions:

What do I want to display in each column of the report?
In what order do I want the columns to appear?
Do I want to display a column for each value of a particular variable?
Do I want a row for every observation in the report, or do I want to consolidate information for multiple observations into one row?
In what order do I want the rows to appear?

When you understand the layout of the report, use the COLUMN and DEFINE statements in PROC REPORT to construct the layout.

The COLUMN statement lists the items that appear in the columns of the report, describes the arrangement of the columns, and defines headings that span multiple columns. A report item can be

a data set variable
a statistic calculated by the procedure
a variable that you compute from other items in the report.

Omit the COLUMN statement if you want to include all variables in the input data set in the same order as they occur in the data set.

Note: If you start PROC REPORT in the interactive report window environment without the COLUMN statement, then the initial report includes only as many variables as will fit on one page. [cautionend]

The DEFINE statement (or, in the interactive report window environment, the DEFINITION window) defines the characteristics of an item in the report. These characteristics include how PROC REPORT uses the item in the report, the text of the column heading, and the format to use to display values.

Usage of Variables in a Report

Much of a report's layout is determined by the usages that you specify for variables in the DEFINE statements or DEFINITION windows. For data set variables, these usages are

DISPLAY

ORDER

ACROSS

GROUP

ANALYSIS

A report can contain variables that are not in the input data set. These variables must have a usage of COMPUTED.

Display Variables

A report that contains one or more display variables has a row for every observation in the input data set. Display variables do not affect the order of the rows in the report. If no order variables appear to the left of a display variable, then the order of the rows in the report reflects the order of the observations in the data set. By default, PROC REPORT treats all character variables as display variables.

Featured in:

Selecting Variables for a Report

Order Variables

A report that contains one or more order variables has a row for every observation in the input data set. If no display variable appears to the left of an order variable, then PROC REPORT orders the detail rows according to the ascending, formatted values of the order variable. You can change the default order with ORDER= and DESCENDING in the DEFINE statement or with the DEFINITION window.

If the report contains multiple order variables, then PROC REPORT establishes the order of the detail rows by sorting these variables from left to right in the report. PROC REPORT does not repeat the value of an order variable from one row to the next if the value does not change, unless an order variable to its left changes values.

Featured in:

Ordering the Rows in a Report

Group Variables

If a report contains one or more group variables, then PROC REPORT tries to consolidate into one row all observations from the data set that have a unique combination of formatted values for all group variables.

When PROC REPORT creates groups, it orders the detail rows by the ascending, formatted values of the group variable. You can change the default order with ORDER= and DESCENDING in the DEFINE statement or with the DEFINITION window.

If the report contains multiple group variables, then the REPORT procedure establishes the order of the detail rows by sorting these variables from left to right in the report. PROC REPORT does not repeat the values of a group variable from one row to the next if the value does not change, unless a group variable to its left changes values.

If you are familiar with procedures that use class variables, then you will see that group variables are class variables that are used in the row dimension in PROC TABULATE.

Note: You cannot always create groups. PROC REPORT cannot consolidate observations into groups if the report contains any order variables or any display variables that do not have one or more statistics associated with them. (See COLUMN Statement.) In the interactive report window environment, if PROC REPORT cannot immediately create groups, then the procedure changes all display and order variables to group variables so that it can create the group variable that you requested. In the nonwindowing environment, it returns to the SAS log a message that explains why it could not create groups. Instead, it creates a detail report that displays group variables the same way as it displays order variables. Even when PROC REPORT creates a detail report, the variables that you define as group variables retain that usage in their definitions. [cautionend]

Featured in:

Consolidating Multiple Observations into One Row of a Report

Analysis Variables

An analysis variable is a numeric variable that is used to calculate a statistic for all the observations represented by a cell of the report. (Across variables, in combination with group variables or order variables, determine which observations a cell represents.) You associate a statistic with an analysis variable in the variable's definition or in the COLUMN statement. By default, PROC REPORT uses numeric variables as analysis variables that are used to calculate the Sum statistic.

The value of an analysis variable depends on where it appears in the report:

In a detail report, the value of an analysis variable in a detail row is the value of the statistic associated with that variable calculated for a single observation. Calculating a statistic for a single observation is not practical. However, using the variable as an analysis variable enables you to create summary lines for sets of observations or for all observations.
In a summary report, the value displayed for an analysis variable is the value of the statistic that you specify calculated for the set of observations represented by that cell of the report.
In a summary line for any report, the value of an analysis variable is the value of the statistic that you specify calculated for all observations represented by that cell of the summary line.

See also:	BREAK Statement and RBREAK Statement
Featured in:	Ordering the Rows in a Report, Using Aliases to Obtain Multiple Statistics for the Same Variable, Consolidating Multiple Observations into One Row of a Report, and Creating a Column for Each Value of a Variable

Note: Be careful when you use SAS dates in reports that contain summary lines. SAS dates are numeric variables. Unless you explicitly define dates as some other type of variable, PROC REPORT summarizes them. [cautionend]

Across Variables

PROC REPORT creates a column for each value of an across variable. PROC REPORT orders the columns by the ascending, formatted values of the across variable. You can change the default order with ORDER= and DESCENDING in the DEFINE statement or with the DEFINITION window. If no other variable helps define the column. (See COLUMN Statement), then PROC REPORT displays the N statistic (the number of observations in the input data set that belong to that cell of the report.)

If you are familiar with procedures that use class variables, then you will see that across variables are like class variables that are used in the column dimension with PROC TABULATE. Generally, you use Across variables in conjunction with order or group variables.

Featured in:

Creating a Column for Each Value of a Variable

Computed Variables

Computed variables are variables that you define for the report. They are not in the input data set, and PROC REPORT does not add them to the input data set. However, computed variables are included in an output data set if you create one.

In the interactive report window environment, you add a computed variable to a report from the COMPUTED VAR window.

In the nonwindowing environment, you add a computed variable by

including the computed variable in the COLUMN statement
defining the variable's usage as COMPUTED in the DEFINE statement
computing the value of the variable in a compute block associated with the variable.

Featured in:

Creating a Column for Each Value of a Variable, Calculating Percentages, and Storing Computed Variables as Part of a Data Set

Interactions of Position and Usage

The position and usage of each variable in the report determine the report's structure and content. PROC REPORT orders the rows of the report according to the values of order and group variables, considered from left to right as specified in the report window or the COLUMN statement. Similarly, PROC REPORT orders columns for an across variable from left to right, according to the values of the variable.

Several items can collectively define the contents of a column in a report. For example, in the following figure, the values that appear in the third and fourth columns are collectively determined by Sales, an analysis variable, and by Department, an across variable. You create this type of report with the COLUMN statement or, in the interactive report window environment, by placing report items above or below each other. This arrangement is called stacking items in the report because each item generates a heading, and the headings are stacked one above the other.

Stacking Department and Sales

[Stacking Department and Sales]

When you use multiple items to define the contents of a column, at most one of the following can be in a column:

a display variable with or without a statistic above or below it
an analysis variable with or without a statistic above or below it
an order variable
a group variable
a computed variable.

More than one of these items in a column creates a conflict for PROC REPORT about which values to display.

The following table shows which report items can share a column.

Note: You cannot stack order variables with other report items. [cautionend]

Report Items That Can Share Columns
	Display	Analysis	Computed	Across	Statistic
Display				X^*	X
Analysis				X	X
Order
Group				X
Computed variable				X
Across	X^*	X	X	X	X
Statistic	X	X		X
^*When a display variable and an across variable share a column, the report must also contain another variable that is not in the same column.

When a column is defined by stacked report items, PROC REPORT formats the values in the column by using the format that is specified for the lowest report item in the stack that does not have an ACROSS usage.

The following items can stand alone in a column:

display variable
analysis variable
order variable
group variable
computed variable
across variable
N statistic.

Note: The values in a column that is occupied only by an across variable are frequency counts. [cautionend]

Statistics That Are Available in PROC REPORT

Descriptive statistic keywords
CSS	PCTSUM
CV	RANGE
MAX	STD
MEAN	STDERR
MIN	SUM
MODE	SUMWGT
N	USS
NMISS	VAR
PCTN
Quantile statistic keywords
MEDIAN \| P50	Q3 \| P75
P1	P90
P5	P95
P10	P99
Q1 \| P25	QRANGE
Hypothesis testing keyword
PRT \| PROBT	T

These statistics, the formulas that are used to calculate them, and their data requirements are discussed in Keywords and Formulas.

To compute standard error and the Student's t-test you must use the default value of VARDEF=, which is DF.

Every statistic except N must be associated with a variable. You associate a statistic with a variable either by placing the statistic above or below a numeric display variable or by specifying the statistic as a usage option in the DEFINE statement or in the DEFINITION window for an analysis variable.

You can place N anywhere because it is the number of observations in the input data set that contribute to the value in a cell of the report. The value of N does not depend on a particular variable.

Note: If you use the MISSING option in the PROC REPORT statement, then N includes observations with missing group, order, or across variables. [cautionend]

Using Compute Blocks

What Is a Compute Block?

A compute block is one or more programming statements that appear either between a COMPUTE and an ENDCOMP statement or in a COMPUTE window. PROC REPORT executes these statements as it builds the report. A compute block can be associated with a report item (a data set variable, a statistic, or a computed variable) or with a location (at the top or bottom of the report; before or after a set of observations). You create a compute block with the COMPUTE window or with the COMPUTE statement. One form of the COMPUTE statement associates the compute block with a report item. Another form associates the compute block with a location in the report. (See Using Break Lines.)

Note: When you use the COMPUTE statement, you do not have to use a corresponding BREAK or RBREAK statement. (See Ordering the Rows in a Report, which uses COMPUTE AFTER but does not use the RBREAK statement). Use these statements only when you want to implement one or more BREAK statement or RBREAK statement options. (See Writing a Customized Summary on Each Page, which uses both COMPUTE AFTER MANAGER and BREAK AFTER MANAGER.) [cautionend]

The Purpose of Compute Blocks

A compute block that is associated with a report item can

define a variable that appears in a column of the report but is not in the input data set
define display attributes for a report item. (See CALL DEFINE Statement.)
define or change the value for a report item, such as showing the word "Total" on a summary line.

A compute block that is associated with a location can write a customized summary.

In addition, all compute blocks can use most SAS language elements to perform calculations. (See The Contents of Compute Blocks.) A PROC REPORT step can contain multiple compute blocks, but they cannot be nested.

The Contents of Compute Blocks

In the interactive report window environment, a compute block is in a COMPUTE window. In the nonwindowing environment, a compute block begins with a COMPUTE statement and ends with an ENDCOMP statement. Within a compute block, you can use these SAS language elements:

%INCLUDE statement
these DATA step statements:

ARRAY END

array-reference IF-THEN/ELSE

assignment LENGTH

CALL RETURN

CONTINUE SELECT

DO (all forms)END sum
comments
null statements
macro variables and macro invocations
all DATA step functions.

For information about SAS language elements see the appropriate section in SAS Language Reference: Dictionary.

Within a compute block, you can also use these PROC REPORT features:

Compute blocks for a customized summary can contain one or more LINE statements, which place customized text and formatted values in the summary. (See LINE Statement.)
Compute blocks for a report item can contain one or more CALL DEFINE statements, which set attributes like color and format each time a value for the item is placed in the report. (See CALL DEFINE Statement.)
Any compute block can reference the automatic variable _BREAK_ . (See The Automatic Variable _BREAK_.)

Four Ways to Reference Report Items in a Compute Block

A compute block can reference any report item that forms a column in the report (whether the column is visible). You reference report items in a compute block in one of four ways:

by name.
by a compound name that identifies both the variable and the name of the statistic that you calculate with it. A compound name has this form

variable-name.statistic
by an alias that you create in the COLUMN statement or in the DEFINITION window.
by column number, in the form

'_Cn_'
where n is the number of the column (from left to right) in the report.
Note: The only time a column number is necessary is when a COMPUTED variable is sharing a column with an ACROSS variable.

Note: Even though the columns that you define with NOPRINT and NOZERO do not appear in the report, you must count them when you are referencing columns by number. See the discussion of NOPRINT and NOZERO.

Note: Referencing variables that have missing values leads to missing values. If a compute block references a variable that has a missing value, then PROC REPORT displays that variable as a blank (for character variables) or as a period (for numeric variables). [cautionend]

The following table shows how to use each type of reference in a compute block.

If the variable that you reference is this type...	Then refer to it by...	For example...
group	name^*	Department
order	name^*	Department
computed	name^*	Department
display	name^*	Department
display sharing a column with a statistic	a compound name^*	Sales.sum
analysis	a compound name^*	Sales.mean
any type sharing a column with an across variable	column number ^**	'_c3_'
^*If the variable has an alias, then you must reference it with the alias.
^**Even if the variable has an alias, you must reference it by column number.

Featured in:

Using Aliases to Obtain Multiple Statistics for the Same Variable, which references analysis variables by their aliases; Creating a Column for Each Value of a Variable, which references variables by column number; and Calculating Percentages, which references group variables and computed variables by name.

Compute Block Processing

PROC REPORT processes compute blocks in two different ways.

If a compute block is associated with a location, then PROC REPORT executes the compute block only at that location. Because PROC REPORT calculates statistics for groups before it actually constructs the rows of the report, statistics for sets of report rows are available before or after the rows are displayed, as are values for any variables based on these statistics.
If a compute block is associated with a report item, then PROC REPORT executes the compute block on every row of the report when it comes to the column for that item. The value of a computed variable in any row of a report is the last value assigned to that variable during that execution of the DATA step statements in the compute block. PROC REPORT assigns values to the columns in a row of a report from left to right. Consequently, you cannot base the calculation of a computed variable on any variable that appears to its right in the report.

Note: PROC REPORT recalculates computed variables at breaks. For details about compute block processing see How PROC REPORT Builds a Report. [cautionend]

Using Break Lines

What Are Break Lines?

Break lines are lines of text (including blanks) that appear at particular locations, called breaks, in a report. A report can contain multiple breaks. Generally, break lines are used to visually separate parts of a report, to summarize information, or both. They can occur

at the beginning or end of a report
at the top or bottom of each page
between sets of observations (whenever the value of a group or order variable changes).

Break lines can contain

text
values calculated for either a set of rows or for the whole report.

Creating Break Lines

There are two ways to create break lines. The first way is simpler. It produces a default summary. The second way is more flexible. It produces a customized summary and provides a way to slightly modify a default summary. Default summaries and customized summaries can appear at the same location in a report.

Default summaries are produced with the BREAK statement, the RBREAK statement, or the BREAK window. You can use default summaries to visually separate parts of the report, to summarize information for numeric variables, or both. Options provide some control over the appearance of the break lines, but if you choose to summarize numeric variables, then you have no control over the content and the placement of the summary information. (A break line that summarizes information is a summary line.)

Customized summaries are produced in a compute block. You can control both the appearance and content of a customized summary, but you must write the code to do so.

Order of Break Lines

You control the order of the lines in a customized summary. However, PROC REPORT controls the order of lines in a default summary and the placement of a customized summary relative to a default summary. When a default summary contains multiple break lines, the order in which the break lines appear is

overlining or double overlining (in traditional SAS monospace output only)
summary line
underlining or double underlining
blank line (in traditional SAS monospace output only)
page break.

In traditional SAS monospace output only, if you define a customized summary for the same location, then customized break lines appear after underlining or double underlining.

The Automatic Variable _BREAK_

PROC REPORT automatically creates a variable called _BREAK_. This variable contains

a blank if the current line is not part of a break
the value of the break variable if the current line is part of a break between sets of observations
the value _RBREAK_ if the current line is part of a break at the beginning or end of the report
the value _PAGE_ if the current line is part of a break at the beginning or end of a page.

Using Compound Names

When you use a statistic in a report, you generally refer to it in compute blocks by a compound name like Sales.sum. However, in different parts of the report, that same name has different meanings. Consider the report in the following output. The statements that create the output follow. The user-defined formats that are used are created by a PROC FORMAT step.

libname proclib 'SAS-library';

options nodate pageno=1 linesize=64
        pagesize=60 fmtsearch=(proclib);
proc report data=grocery nowindows;
   column sector manager sales;
   define sector / group format=$sctrfmt.;
   define sales  / analysis sum
                   format=dollar9.2;
   define manager / group format=$mgrfmt.;
   break after sector / summarize skip ol;
   rbreak after / summarize dol dul;
   compute after;
      sector='Total:';
   endcomp;
run;

Three Different Meanings of Sales.sum

                         The SAS System                        1

                 Sector     Manager      Sales
                 Northeast  Alomar     $786.00     1 
                            Andrews  $1,045.00
                 ---------           ---------
                 Northeast           $1,831.00     2 
                                              
                 Northwest  Brown      $598.00
                            Pelfrey    $746.00
                            Reveiz   $1,110.00
                 ---------           ---------
                 Northwest           $2,454.00
                                              
                 Southeast  Jones      $630.00
                            Smith      $350.00
                 ---------           ---------
                 Southeast             $980.00
                                              
                 Southwest  Adams      $695.00
                            Taylor     $353.00
                 ---------           ---------
                 Southwest           $1,048.00
                                              
                 =========           =========
                 Total:              $6,313.00     3 
                 =========           =========

Here Sales.sum has three different meanings:

	In detail rows, the value is the sales for one manager's store in a sector of the city. For example, the first detail row of the report shows that the sales for the store that Alomar manages were $786.00.
	In the group summary lines, the value is the sales for all the stores in one sector. For example, the first group summary line shows that sales for the Northeast sector were $1,831.00.
	In the report summary line, the value $6,313.00 is the sales for all stores in the city.

Note: When you refer in a compute block to a statistic that has an alias, do not use a compound name. Generally, you must use the alias. However, if the statistic shares a column with an across variable, then you must reference it by column number. (See Four Ways to Reference Report Items in a Compute Block.) [cautionend]

Using Style Elements in PROC REPORT

Using the STYLE= Option

If you use the Output Delivery System to create HTML, RTF, or Printer output from PROC REPORT, then you can use the STYLE= option to specify style elements for the procedure to use in various parts of the report. Style elements determine presentation attributes like font type, font weight, color, and so on. For information about the style attributes and their values, see SAS Output Delivery System: User's Guide.

The general form of the STYLE= option is

STYLE<(location(s))>=<style-element-name><[style-attribute-specification(s)]>

Note: You can use braces ({ and }) instead of square brackets ([ and ]). [cautionend]

location(s)

identifies the part of the report that the STYLE= option affects. The following table shows what parts of a report are affected by values of location.

Location Values
Location Value	Part of Report Affected
CALLDEF	Cells identified by a CALL DEFINE statement
COLUMN	Column cells
HEADER\|HDR	Column headings
LINES	Lines generated by LINE statements
REPORT	Report as a whole
SUMMARY	Summary lines

The valid and default values for location vary by what statement the STYLE= option appears in. The following table shows valid and default values for location for each statement. To specify more than one value of location in the same STYLE= option, separate each value with a space.

style-element-name

is the name of a style element that is part of a style definition that is registered with the Output Delivery System. SAS provides some style definitions. Refer to ODS Style Elements for a list of SAS provided style elements. Users can create their own style definitions with the TEMPLATE procedure. See SAS Output Delivery System: User's Guide for information about PROC TEMPLATE. The following table shows the default style elements for each statement.

Locations and Default Style Elements for Each Statement in PROC REPORT
Statement	Valid Location Values	Default Location Value	Default Style Element
PROC REPORT	REPORT, COLUMN, HEADER\|HDR, SUMMARY, LINES, CALLDEF	REPORT	Table
BREAK	SUMMARY, LINES	SUMMARY	DataEmphasis
CALL DEFINE	CALLDEF	CALLDEF	Data
COMPUTE	LINES	LINES	NoteContent
DEFINE	COLUMN, HEADER\|HDR	COLUMN and HEADER	COLUMN: Data HEADER: Header
RBREAK	SUMMARY, LINES	SUMMARY	DataEmphasis

style-attribute-specification(s)

describes the style attribute to change. Each style-attribute-specification has this general form:

style-attribute-name=style-attribute-value

To specify more than one style-attribute-specification, separate each one with a space.

The following table shows valid values of style-attribute-name for PROC REPORT. Note that not all style attributes are valid in all destinations. See SAS Output Delivery System: User's Guide for more information about these style attributes, their valid values, and their applicable destinations.

Style Attributes for PROC REPORT and PROC TABULATE
Attribute	PROC REPORT STATEMENT: REPORT Area	PROC REPORT Areas: CALLDEF, COLUMN, HEADER, LINES, SUMMARY	PROC TABULATE STATEMENT: TABLE	PROC TABULATE STATEMENTS: VAR, CLASS, BOX Opt, CLASSLEV, KEYWORD
ASIS=	X	X		X
BACKGOUNDCOLOR=	X	X	X	X
BACKGOUNDIMAGE=	X	X	X	X
BORDERBOTTOMCOLOR=	X	X		X
BORDERBOTTOMSTYLE=	X	X	X	X
BORDERBOTTOMWIDTH=	X	X	X	X
BORDERCOLOR=	X	X		X
BORDERCOLORDARK=	X	X	X	X
BORDERCOLORLIGHT=	X	X	X	X
BORDERTOPCOLOR=	X	X		X
BORDERTOPSTYLE=	X	X	X	X
BORDERTOPWIDTH=	X	X	X	X
BORDERWIDTH=	X	X	X	X
CELLPADDING=	X		X
CELLSPACING=	X		X
CLASS=	X	X	X	X
COLOR=	X	X	X
FLYOVER=	X	X		X
FONT=	X	X	X	X
FONTFAMILY=	X	X	X	X
FONTSIZE=	X	X	X	X
FONTSTYLE=	X	X	X	X
FONTWEIGHT=	X	X	X	X
FONTWIDTH=	X	X	X	X
FRAME=	X		X
HEIGHT=	X	X		X
HREFTARGET=		X		X
HTMLSTYLE=	X	X	X	X
NOBREAKSPACE=	X	X		X
POSTHTML=	X	X	X	X
POSTIMAGE=	X	X	X	X
POSTTEXT=	X	X	X	X
PREHTML=	X	X	X	X
PREIMAGE=	X	X	X	X
PRETEXT=	X	X	X	X
PROTECTSPECIALCHARS=		X		X
RULES=	X		X
TAGATTR=	X	X		X
TEXTALIGN=	X	X	X	X
URL=		X		X
VERTICALALIGN=		X		X
WIDTH=	X	X	X	X

Specifications in a PROC REPORT statement other than the PROC REPORT location override the same specification in the PROC REPORT statement. However, any style attributes that you specify in the PROC REPORT statement and do not override in another PROC REPORT statement are inherited. For example, if you specify a blue background and a white foreground for all column headings in the PROC REPORT statement, and you specify a gray background for the column headings of a variable in the PROC REPORT DEFINE statement, then the background for that particular column heading is gray, and the foreground is white (as specified in the PROC REPORT statement).

Using a Format to Assign a Style Attribute Value

You can use a format to assign a style attribute value. For example, the following code assigns a red background color to cells in the Profit column for which the value is negative, and a green background color where the values are positive:

proc format;
   value proffmt low-<0='red'
                 0-high='green';
run;
ods html body='external-HTML-file';
proc report data=profits nowd;
   title 'Profits for Individual Stores';
   column Store Profit;
   define Store / display 'Store';
   define Profit / display 'Profit' style=[backgroundcolor=proffmt.];
run;
ods html close;

Controlling the Spacing between Rows

Users frequently need to "shrink" a report to fit more rows on a page. Shrinking a report involves changing both the font size and the spacing between the rows. In order to give maximum flexibility to the user, ODS uses the font size that is specified for the REPORT location to calculate the spacing between the rows. Therefore, to shrink a table, change the font size for both the REPORT location and the COLUMN location. Here is an example:

proc report nowindows data=libref.data--set-name
            style(report)=[fontsize=8pt]
            style(column)=[font=(Arial, 8pt)];

Printing a Report

Printing with ODS

Printing reports with the Output Delivery System is much simpler and provides more attractive output than the older methods of printing that are documented here. For best results, use an output destination in the ODS printer family or RTF. For details about these destinations and on using the ODS statements, see SAS Output Delivery System: User's Guide.

Printing from the REPORT Window

By default, if you print from the REPORT window, then the report is routed directly to your printer. If you want, you can specify a form to use for printing. (See Printing with a Form.) Forms specify things like the type of printer that you are using, text format, and page orientation.

Note: Forms are available only when you run SAS from an interactive report window environment. [cautionend]

Operating Environment Information: Printing is implemented differently in different operating environments. For information related to printing, consult SAS Language Reference: Concepts. Additional information might be available in the SAS documentation for your operating environment. [cautionend]

Printing with a Form

To print with a form from the REPORT window:

Specify a form. You can specify a form with the FORMNAME command or, in some cases, through the File menu.
Specify a print file if you want the output to go to a file instead of directly to the printer. You can specify a print file with the PRTFILE command or, in some cases, through the File menu.
Issue the PRINT or PRINT PAGE command from the command line or from the File menu.
If you specified a print file, then do the following:
1. Free the print file. You can free a file with the FREE command or, in some cases, through Print utilities in the File menu. You cannot view or print the file until you free it.
2. Use operating environment commands to send the file to the printer.

Printing from the Output Window

If you are running PROC REPORT with the NOWINDOWS option, then the default destination for the output is the Output window. Use the commands in the File menu to print the report.

Printing from Noninteractive or Batch Mode

If you use noninteractive or batch mode, then SAS writes the output either to the display or to external files, depending on the operating environment and on the SAS options that you use. Refer to the SAS documentation for your operating environment for information about how these files are named and where they are stored.

You can print the output file directly or use PROC PRINTTO to redirect the output to another file. In either case, no form is used, but carriage control characters are written if the destination is a print file.

Use operating environment commands to send the file to the printer.

Printing from Interactive Line Mode

If you use interactive line mode, then by default the output and log are displayed on the screen immediately following the programming statements. Use PROC PRINTTO to redirect the output to an external file. Then use operating environment commands to send the file to the printer.

Using PROC PRINTTO

PROC PRINTTO defines destinations for the SAS output and the SAS log. (See The PRINTTO Procedure.)

PROC PRINTTO does not use a form, but it does write carriage control characters if you are writing to a print file.

Note: You need two PROC PRINTTO steps. The first PROC PRINTTO step precedes the PROC REPORT step. It redirects the output to a file. The second PROC PRINTTO step follows the PROC REPORT step. It reestablishes the default destination and frees the output file. You cannot print the file until PROC PRINTTO frees it. [cautionend]

Storing and Reusing a Report Definition

The OUTREPT= option in the PROC REPORT statement stores a report definition in the specified catalog entry. If you are working in the nonwindowing environment, then the definition is based on the PROC REPORT step that you submit. If you are in the interactive report window environment, then the definition is based on the report that is in the REPORT window when you end the procedure. SAS assigns an entry type of REPT to the entry.

In the interactive report window environment, you can save the definition of the current report by selecting File Save Report. A report definition might differ from the SAS program that creates the report. See the discussion of OUTREPT= .

You can use a report definition to create an identically structured report for any SAS data set that contains variables with the same names as the ones that are used in the report definition. Use the REPORT= option in the PROC REPORT statement to load a report definition when you start PROC REPORT. In the interactive report window environment, load a report definition from the LOAD REPORT window by selecting File Open Report

ODS Destinations Supported by PROC REPORT

Before SAS 9.2, the ODS DOCUMENT and the ODS OUTPUT destinations were unsupported by PROC REPORT. Now, PROC REPORT supports all ODS destinations. Refer to Understanding ODS Destinations in SAS Output Delivery System: User's Guide for information about all of the ODS destinations.

The DOCUMENT destination enables you to restructure, navigate, and replay your data in different ways and to different destinations without rerunning your analysis or repeating your database query. The DOCUMENT destination makes your entire output stream available in "raw" form and accessible to you to customize. The output is kept in the original internal representation as a data component plus a table definition. When the output is in a DOCUMENT form, it is possible to rearrange, restructure, and reformat without rerunning your analysis. Refer to the ODS DOCUMENT procedure in the SAS Output Delivery System: User's Guide for additional information.

The OUTPUT destination produces SAS output data sets. Because ODS already knows the logical structure of the data and its native form, ODS can output a SAS data set that represents exactly the same resulting data set that the procedure worked with internally. Refer to the ODS OUTPUT statement in the SAS Output Delivery System: User's Guide for additional information.

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ARRAY	END
array-reference	IF-THEN/ELSE
assignment	LENGTH
CALL	RETURN
CONTINUE	SELECT
DO (all forms)END	sum