Author

Michael A. Raithel
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Senior systems analyst for Westat and SAS Press author

Michael A. Raithel is a senior systems analyst for Westat, an employee-owned contract research organization in the Washington, DC area. An internationally recognized expert in the use of SAS software in mainframe and UNIX environments, he is the author of over 25 SAS technical papers and is a popular lecturer at SAS Global Forum and at regional SAS conferences. He has written four books for SAS; the most recent book is How to Become a Top SAS Programmer. A copy of the first edition Tuning SAS Applications in the MVS Environment, resides in the Smithsonian Institution of American History’s Permanent Research Collection of Information Technology.

Michael A. Raithel 0
Raiders of the lost spreadsheet

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.

Michael A. Raithel 0
I Know What You Did Last Summer!

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

Michael A. Raithel 0
The lowdown on the downloads

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

Michael A. Raithel 0
Are you doing things SAS backwards?

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

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Michael A. Raithel 0
Artisan crafted SAS programs

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

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Michael A. Raithel 0
SAS tourism

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

Michael A. Raithel 0
The RUN Statement

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

Michael A. Raithel 0
SAS and the city

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

Michael A. Raithel 0
What to do when the words won’t come

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

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Making time to write

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,