SAS 9.4 Language Reference, 6th Edition

• PROC steps

A DATA step consists of a group of statements in the SAS language that can perform the

following tasks:

• read data from external files

• write data to external files

• read SAS data sets and SAS views

• create SAS data sets and SAS views

Once your data is accessible as a SAS data set, you can analyze the data and write

reports by using a set of tools known as SAS procedures.

A group of procedure statements is called a PROC step. SAS procedures analyze data in

SAS data sets to produce statistics, tables, reports, charts, and plots, to create SQL

queries, and to perform other analyses and operations on your data. They also provide

ways to manage and print SAS files.

You can also use global SAS statements and options outside of a DATA step or PROC

step.

SAS Macro Facility

Base SAS software includes the SAS Macro Facility, a powerful programming tool for

extending and customizing your SAS programs, and for reducing the amount of code

that you must enter to do common tasks. Macros are SAS files that contain compiled

macro program statements and stored text. You can use macros to automatically generate

SAS statements and commands, write messages to the SAS log, accept input, or create

and change the values of macro variables. For complete documentation, see SAS Macro

Language: Reference.

Ways to Run Your SAS Session

Starting a SAS Session

You start a SAS session with the SAS command, which follows the rules for other

commands in your operating environment. In some operating environments, you include

the SAS command in a file of system commands or control statements. In other

operating environments, you enter the SAS command at a system prompt or select SAS

from a menu.

Different Types of SAS Sessions

You can run SAS in any of several ways that might be available for your operating

environment:

• SAS windowing environment

• interactive line mode

• noninteractive mode

• batch (or background) mode

Ways to Run Your SAS Session 7

In addition, SAS/ASSIST software provides a menu-driven system for creating and

running your SAS programs.

SAS Windowing Environment

In the SAS windowing environment, you can edit and execute programming statements,

display the SAS log, procedure output, and online Help, and more. The following figure

shows the SAS windowing environment.

Figure 1.2 SAS Windowing Environment

In the Explorer window, you can view and manage your SAS files, which are stored in

libraries, and create shortcuts to external files. The Results window helps you navigate

and manage output from SAS programs that you submit; you can view, save, and

manage individual output items. You use the Program Editor, Log, and Output windows

to enter, edit, and submit SAS programs, view messages about your SAS session and

programs that you submit, and browse output from programs that you submit. For more

detailed information about the SAS windowing environment, see Chapter 16,

“Introduction to the SAS Windowing Environment,” on page 357.

Interactive Line Mode

In interactive line mode, you enter program statements in sequence in response to

prompts from the SAS System. DATA and PROC steps execute when one or more of the

following happens:

• a RUN, QUIT, or a semicolon on a line by itself after lines of data are entered

• another DATA or PROC statement is entered

• the ENDSAS statement is encountered

By default, the SAS log and output are displayed immediately following the program

statements.

8 Chapter 1 • Essential Concepts of Base SAS Software