The little SAS program’s official name was Extract_Transform_Load_ 0314.sas. But, that name was much too formal, way too long, and did not roll off of the tongue very easily at all. So, everybody simply called her: ETL Pi. ETL Pi was conceived in a 2-hour project strategy meeting in conference
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SAS Programming Professionals, SAS & bugs & rock & roll? But, of course! SAS Because of its amazing versatility, SAS is indisputably the greatest software package currently in use anywhere within the Milky Way Galaxy. Can SAS input every type of flat file imaginable? Yes! Can SAS read and write
We have all heard the old joke about the person who sidles up to a doctor at a party and describes in great detail a medical problem a "friend" is having in order to get free medical advice. It could just as easily be a person buttonholing an accountant for
I am all about sharing. Knock on my door and I will gladly lend you a stick of margarine, a cup of sugar, an egg or two, some flour, a corkscrew, or a beer. Not a problem to borrow a tie, one of my extra belts, a white shirt (if
So, how did you first learn SAS programming? Originally, I was self-taught. Many years ago, I learned SAS on the job when a systems programmer quit and I took over supporting a mainframe performance software package that was written in SAS. I got a copy of the Base SAS users
Have you ever peered intently into an unfamiliar data delivery directory, realized what was in it, rolled over onto your side, stared blankly into the distance, and dejectedly uttered something akin to: "Spreadsheets! Why did it have to be spreadsheets?" If so, then we are definitely on the same page.
I know what you did last summer. If it was unintentional, then you probably don't know what I am talking about. If it was intentional, then you probably thought that I would never find out. Either way, the damage is done. The actions that you took on that warm summer
I don’t know about you, but I get pretty determined to prove them wrong when people tell me that I cannot do something. I am not talking about fantastical things such as flying through the heart of the sun and out the other side without getting burned. Nor, am I
I would bet that the most popular four-letter-word in the English language; the one that gets the most attention; the one that everybody loves to see; the one that makes people the happiest is: free. Everybody likes to get something for free. We love it when we purchase two garments
SAS Programming Professionals, Are you doing things SAS backwards? Yea; we have all been there. A manager, or a user, or a client, asks you to perform an analysis or create a data set and gives you a sketchy description of what they want. Maybe they say "It's like that
Happy New Year to you, your families, and your colleagues! This is the time of year when people make all types of New Year's resolutions. According to the USA.Gov web site, the most popular resolutions are: Lose Weight Volunteer to Help Others Quit Smoking Get a Better Education Get a
So, what is the most unusual place that you have had SAS? Okay, I admit it; I used a somewhat provocative title and lead sentence to get you to read this blog. It must have worked because here you are. But, do not worry; there are no hidden meanings, untoward
Madison Avenue has a new phrase to describe the things they are trying to sell to us: artisan crafted. These days, there are artisan crafted breads and rolls, artisan crafted beers, artisan crafted coffees, artisan crafted soaps, and a host of other artisan crafted products. Artisan crafted seems to have
How do they spell “SAS” in Japan? What does the Japanese version of the SAS Display Manager look like? How is a SAS programming class conducted in Tokyo? These may sound like pretty random questions, but I found myself wondering about them as I began preparing for my trip to
It was a case of life imitating art—the fine art of SAS programming, that is! I had arranged the perfect 4-day weekend. I would take the train to Philadelphia on Saturday. Run the Philadelphia Marathon on Sunday. Visit with my friend Frank DiIorio and his wife April on Monday. And
One of the perks of being a SAS Press Author is being invited to give presentations at local SAS users group meetings. There are over 70 registered local SAS users groups distributed throughout the United States, from sea to shining sea. Local groups serve a given geographic area—often near a
Occasionally, people ask me what is the best thing about writing a book. Is it the notoriety you get from being a SAS Press author? Fame is always pleasant. Is it the money you make from the advance and the royalties? Money is always useful. Is it displaying technical expertise
Sometimes it happens. You’ve rearranged your busy schedule to find that perfect time to write your SAS conference paper, article, or book chapter. It’s early in the morning, or late at night, or a weekend day, or you took a day off from work. Your significant other, or girlfriend, or boyfriend is out-and-about
Think that you have a good excuse for not completing that SAS users group conference paper, technical article, or SAS Press book chapter? Well, whatever your excuse is, I’ve got a bigger one. Really! Things at the office are so busy that you need to take work home? I can
Please don’t tell me that you do not have the time to write a book for SAS Press. I already know that. You have a lot of things to attend to: a demanding job, family responsibilities, housework, yard work, shopping, cooking, eating, reading, favorite TV shows, commuting, sports to play,
26.2! If you smiled when you read that number, then you are likely one of the cognoscenti who ran a marathon or know somebody that ran a marathon. If you didn’t recognize that number, then by now you may have guessed that it is the number of miles in a