Considerations for Manually Editing Code
Before You Manually Edit Code
The
code generation features in SAS Visual Data Builder can generate
a lot of SAS statements with a few simple clicks. Depending on your
needs, you might benefit by using the Design tab
for adding input tables, performing joins, and filtering data before
you customize the generated code.
The following features
and settings must be specified before you unlock the code:
Unique values
Selecting this check box determines whether the DISTINCT keyword is included in the generated PROC SQL statement.
After you unlock the code, the check box cannot be used to include the keyword.
Append data
Selecting this check box enables you to use the generated SAS statements for appending
data to the output table before you unlock the code.
Output table
You must specify the table name, location, and library, and you must save the data query before you unlock the code. When you save the data query, the metadata for the table is registered.
Use a staging table
Selecting this check box registers the metadata for the table when you save the data
query. Select the check box, specify the library, and save before you unlock the code.
Table and Column Metadata
After unlocking the code and saving it, the columns in the output table are removed
from metadata. This is because the data builder uses the columns selected on the Design tab to create column metadata,
and those column selections are no longer available after you unlock
the view on the Code tab.
When you run the unlocked data query, the column metadata is registered as part of
running the code. However, the columns might not be visible
in the data builder immediately because the table metadata (without any columns) is cached in the application.
Input and Output Libraries
When you unlock the code for manual editing, you must specify the libraries to use for your tables. You can do this with LIBNAME statements. If you dragged and
dropped the tables onto the workspace before you unlocked the code for manual editing, then the LIBNAME statements for
the tables are automatically included.
Output and Staging Tables
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