The PMENU procedure defines menus that can be used in DATA step windows, macro windows, both SAS/AF and SAS/FSP windows, or in any SAS application that enables you to specify customized menus.

Menus can replace the command line as a way to execute commands. To activate menus, issue the PMENU command from any command line. Menus must be activated in order for them to appear.

When menus are activated, each active window has a menu bar, which lists items that you can select. Depending on which item you select, SAS either processes a command, displays a menu or a submenu, or requests that you complete information in a dialog box. The dialog box is simply a box of questions or choices that require answers before an action can be performed. The following figure illustrates features that you can create with PROC PMENU.

The PMENU procedure produces no immediately visible output. It simply builds a catalog entry of type PMENU that can be used later in an application.