Learn how to read, understand, and write better SAS programs
¨ Understand the key differences between similar SAS syntax and programming approaches
¨ Save time in writing SAS code with organized summaries of important facts
¨ Improve your trouble-shooting skills in common programming and data related problems
¨ Reinforce your SAS knowledge with more than 150 technically challenging questions
Ideal for intermediate to advanced SAS users, Sharpening Your SAS® Skills shows how to write and diagnose the most common programming tasks in data access, data management, and data analysis. This book organizes, prioritizes, and compares key facts about SAS for easy usage and reference. It includes SAS version 9.1 features and examples for improving data quality with integrity constraints, generation data sets, and audit trials. Each example will help you better understand the SAS syntax by showing the results expected from the input data and potential errors, notes, or warning messages the program may generate if written incorrectly.
Accessing Data
Introduction
LIST, COLUMN, FORMATTED and NAMED INPUT to Read Raw Data
Using Various Components of an INPUT Statement
Importing Data from Excel and Access Using the IMPORT Procedure
SET Statement to Read and Combine SAS Data Sets
Using the MERGE Statement to Combine SAS Data Sets
SQL Procedure to Create Data Sets
SQL Procedure to Query Multiple Tables
Creating Data Structures
Introduction
Creating Temporary and Permanent SAS Data Sets
Applying Conditional Assignments and Conditional Subsets
Using DATA Step Statements to Export (or Write) Data to a File
Exporting Data to Excel and Access Using the EXPORT Procedure
Understanding How the DATA Step Is Compiled and Executed
Managing Data
Introduction
Modifying Variable Attributes in the Data Set
Assignment Statements and Conditionally Executed SAS Statements
Using the Retain Statement to Accumulate Variable Values Across Executions of the DATA Step
Using SAS Functions to Manipulate Character Data, Numeric Data, and SAS Date Values
Use SAS Functions to Convert Character Data to Numeric Data and Vice Versa
Processing and Executing SAS Statements Iteratively Using DO Loops
Processing Data Using SAS Arrays
Sorting Observations in a SAS Data Set
Using SAS Utility Procedures to Investigate SAS Data Libraries
Generating Reports
Introduction
Generating Reports Using the PRINT Procedure
Generating Summary Reports Using the MEANS Procedure
Generating Summary Reports Using the FREQ Procedure
Generating Reports Using the TABULATE Procedure
Generating Reports Using the REPORT Procedure
Generating HTML, RTF, and PDF Reports Using ODS Statements
Enhancing Reports with Options and Statements
Handling Errors
Introduction
Recognizing and Correcting Syntax and Non-Syntax Errors
Examining and Resolving Data Errors
Program Debugging Techniques
Version 8.2 and Version 9.1 Enhancements
Introduction
Version 8.2 Enhancements
Version 9.1 Enhancements
Glossary
Tables and Figures
References
Answers
Index
Biography
Sunil Gupta
"This concise guide … is designed to help in reading, understanding, and writing better SAS programs. …"
-Zentralblatt MATH, 1092
"I would readily recommend "Sharpening Your SAS Skills" for anyone with some exposure to SAS who wants to learn the language in greater depth, particularly those who are considering taking the SAS certification exams."
-- Frank DiIorio, President of CodeCrafters
"This book is very useful for anyone with a basic knowledge of SAS wishing to advance their skills. It covers quite a lot of important ground, providing concise explanation, helpful examples, and convenient summary sections with tables for quick reference. Readers can also benefit from the comprehensive test questions following each chapter summary."
--Brian Sheehan, Senior Statistical Programmer Analyst, Quintiles, Inc.
"[The authors'] depth of knowledge in comparing similar programming approaches has taken my understanding of the SAS programming language to the next level. The Sharpening Your SAS Skills book offers a unique approach to mastering the SAS System."
- Mary Katz, Lead Systems Engineer, SAS Certified Base Programmer, Fireman's Fund Insurance Company
"This book is worth reading by all levels of SAS programmers but especially for the Beginner up to the Intermediate Levels. …It provides concise explanations, helpful examples and a nice summary section at the end of all six chapters with the added benefit of some comprehensive questions with answers provided at the end of the book. …In reading this book, I uncovered a few new features of SAS that I was unaware of and immediately thought of where I could utilize these new features and began employing them in my new code. …the 273 pages can easily be read over several days and is helpful as a refresher course to reinforce your basic knowledge of SAS. It also provides a great presentation and explanation on the PDV which I have not found in other books by SAS users. This is a book worth having in your SAS library to share with the rest of your staff who use the SAS Software."
-Charles Patridge, SCONSIG.Com
"This book, if not to be considered as a complete reference, is a very good resource for intermediate SAS programmers… .It should be a very good resource for the entry to intermediate level SAS programmers at whom it is targeted. Of course the book is well worth putting on the library shelves."
-Homer Wang, PRA International, Journal of Applied Statistics, Vol. 33, No. 6, July 2006
