SAS 9.4 Language Reference, 6th Edition

message. A log event consists of a log message, a message threshold, and a logger.

Log events are initiated by SAS servers and SAS programs.

When SAS processes a logging facility log event, it compares the message level of

the log event to the message threshold of the logger that is named in the log event. If

the log event message threshold is the same or higher than the logger's message

threshold, the message is written to the locations that are specified by the appenders

that are referenced in the logger definition. If the log event is not accepted by the

logger, the message is discarded.

Appenders are defined for the duration of a macro program or a DATA step. Loggers

are defined for the duration of the SAS session.

For more information, see SAS Logging: Configuration and Programming Reference.

Routing and Customizing SAS Output

Default Output Destination

Definition

The destination in SAS is a designation that the Output Delivery System (ODS) uses to

generate a specific type of output. Or, simply put, it is how and where ODS routes your

output. For example, ODS can route your output to a browser as HTML, to a file, or to

your terminal or display as a simple list report. The destination of your output depends

on the following:

• your operating environment

• your mode of running SAS

• your version of SAS

Default Destinations

In SAS 9.3 and later versions, when running SAS in windowing mode in the Microsoft

Windows and UNIX operating environments, output is sent by default to the HTML

destination (HTML is the default destination). Also, ODS Graphics is turned on by

default in the windowing environment under UNIX and Windows for SAS 9.3 and later

versions.

For running SAS in batch mode, however, LISTING is the default destination for SAS

9.4 and earlier versions, and ODS Graphics is turned off by default. See Table 9.1 on

page 158 for a comparison of output destinations based on SAS version and operating

mode. Your defaults might be different due to your registry or configuration file settings.

The following table shows the default destinations for each method of operation based

on SAS version:

Routing and Customizing SAS Output 157

Table 9.1 Comparison of Default Destinations for Output

SAS Version

Mode of Running

SAS Viewer ODS Destination

SAS 9.3 and later windowing mode SAS Results Viewer or

browser window

HTML

interactive line

mode

terminal display LISTING

noninteractive mode depends on operating environment

batch mode depends on operating environment:

SAS 9.2 windowing mode SAS Output Window LISTING

interactive line

mode

terminal display LISTING

noninteractive mode depends on operating environment

batch mode depends on operating environment

Operating Environment Information

The default destination for SAS output is specific to your operating environment.

Your configuration file and registry settings also affect the where your output is sent.

For specific information about the default output destination, see the SAS

documentation for your operating environment:

• UNIX: “The Default Routings for the SAS Log and Procedure Output in UNIX

Environments” in SAS Companion for UNIX Environments

• z/OS: “Destinations of SAS Output Files” in SAS Companion for z/OS

• Windows: “Managing SAS Output under Windows” in SAS Companion for Windows

For more information about the new defaults and ODS destinations, see the SAS Output

Delivery System: User’s Guide.

Changing the Output Destination

Overview

With SAS, there are many ways to control where your log, procedure, and DATA step

output is sent. The method that you use depends on your operating system and the mode

in which you are running SAS. See Table 9.2 on page 159 for a list of commonly used

methods for changing the output destination. You can route your output directly to a PC

or terminal display, to a printer, or to an external file.Output destinations can be specified

using SAS procedures, system options, commands, statements, or global ODS

statements.

158 Chapter 9 • SAS Output