How much time will your process flow take to run?

Chris Hemedinger
Chris Hemedinger|May 15, 2012

SAS users, by definition, do not embrace the mysterious. That’s one of the main reasons that they use SAS: to demystify some data or process. And so, when you (as a SAS user) have gone to the trouble of designing a process flow in SAS Enterprise Guide, you like to [...]

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Are 64-bit client applications twice as good as 32-bit applications?

Chris Hemedinger
Chris Hemedinger|April 3, 2012

In September 2010, I questioned whether you should care about native 64-bit client applications (or the lack thereof). At the time, SAS did not have a 64-bit version of SAS Enterprise Guide or SAS Add-In for Microsoft Office. A skeptical reader might assume that I was just trying to make [...]

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SAS Report: You're soaking in it

Chris Hemedinger
Chris Hemedinger|February 22, 2012

Do you want your report to look good on the web, or to look good when you print it? Pick one. Before the SAS Report file format, that was the choice that you faced. HTML is perfect for the web browser. It’s easy to scroll through tables, to apply an [...]

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Review your metadata profiles using SAS Enterprise Guide automation

Chris Hemedinger
Chris Hemedinger|February 2, 2012

We call it the “metadata profile”, but really it’s like a telephone number that connects you to your SAS environment. Just as a telephone number has component parts (country code, area code, exchange), the metadata profile contains information that allow you to “dial in” to your SAS servers. This information [...]

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Choose your own adventure with SAS OnDemand for Professionals

Chris Hemedinger
Chris Hemedinger|January 18, 2012

In the past, getting your hands on SAS for learning purposes required one of two fortunate situations: being a student enrolled in a college course (or high school!) where SAS is taught working for an employer who is willing to sponsor your training, either in an official course or on-the-job. [...]

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Uncovering the hidden parts of the SAS log

Chris Hemedinger
Chris Hemedinger|January 11, 2012

Before there was CNN or FOX News, people used to get their news from SAS. At least, that’s how I imagine that people kept themselves informed. What else can explain the existence of the NEWS= system option, which helps SAS admins to surface the must-know information to the SAS community? [...]

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A SAS options viewer for SAS Enterprise Guide

Chris Hemedinger
Chris Hemedinger|December 16, 2011

On the heels of the release of the popular SAS macro variable viewer from last month, I’m providing another custom task that I hope will prove just as useful. This one is a SAS options viewer, similar in concept to the OPTIONS window in SAS display manager. You can download [...]

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Just-in-time data prep in SAS Enterprise Guide

Chris Hemedinger
Chris Hemedinger|November 30, 2011

On this blog, I’ve delivered a few tips about using SAS formats to stratify your data values “in place” without having to actually change your data. The most recent example addressed date and datetime variables. My previous examples included simple SAS programs that you can run in SAS display manager [...]

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Inspecting SAS macro variables in SAS Enterprise Guide

Chris Hemedinger
Chris Hemedinger|November 22, 2011

The SAS macro variable “inspector” is a custom task that plugs into SAS Enterprise Guide 4.3. You can use it to view the current values for all SAS macro variables that are defined within your SAS session. You can also evaluate “immediate” macro expressions in a convenient quick view window. [...]

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Take SAS program editor abbreviations to the next level

Chris Hemedinger
Chris Hemedinger|November 17, 2011

Rick posted a tip today about using abbreviations in the SAS program editor window (often referred to as the “enhanced editor”). Defining abbreviations is a great way to save keystrokes and re-use “templates” of code that you’ve squirreled away. (One of Rick’s readers also picked up on the tip, and [...]

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