As word spreads that SAS integrates with open source technologies, people are beginning to explore how to connect, interact with, and use SAS in new ways. More and more users are examining the possibilities and with this comes questions like: How do I code A, integrate B, and accomplish C?

Documentation is plentiful but is undergoing a makeover. People aren’t sure where to go for help – and that's why we're launching the SAS Developers Community, where you can gather to ask questions and get answers.

The community will mirror the activities in existing SAS Communities: Q&A, library articles, tips, technical discussions, etc. We migrated some content from other boards. For example, we moved the content from the Coding on SAS Viya board to the new community. Additionally, we scoured other boards for content that may be better aligned with developers and moved it. We also created some original content. Any good community needs participation by all, so read on and get the 411 on the new Developers Community.

Who is the target audience?

Developers – data scientists, application developers, analysts, programmers and administrators – who need to access SAS resources and/or run SAS procedures. This audience may or may not have SAS programming skills but need to access and analyze data using SAS.

What can developers expect to find?

The Developers Community provides a forum for collaboration, Q&A, and knowledge and resource sharing. The focus will be on developers using open source languages and technology. The community will create synergy between communities.sas.com, developer.sas.com, and github.com/sassoftware. SAS employees and external users will post how-to articles and other items of interest in the library section of the community. This community will not replace the SAS Programming Communities, rather, it will fill a void for non-SAS programmers who have a need/desire to interact with SAS.

When will the community launch?

The Developers Community is live! The site is public, and we've moved existing artifacts to the community. I am attending SAS Global Forum and will be available to answer questions about the new community from our booth in the Quad. Come by and see me!

Where will the community live?

The Developers Community exists on communities.sas.com, under the Developers Category.

Why do we need a community for developers?

Developers need a centralized place to share ideas, ask and answer questions, and discover resources. Currently developers lack a forum to work through things such as authentication, coding, API use, and integration issues. The community will encourage communication, engagement and leadership. Also, the Developers Community will be tightly integrated with the SAS Developers web site and SAS GitHub resources.

How do we go about creating the community?

After seeding the SAS Developer Community with existing discussions, we'll build out a group of SAS developer experts to help monitor the community. The true magic will happen as questions are asked, discussions transpire, and ideas are shared. But we need to your help too. Here is your call to action.

Share the community with your networks, buddies and even family members who may get something out of chatting it up about how to develop in SAS. The livelihood of the community hinges on user interaction. Subscribe to get the latest Q/A, and if you have a tip to share, consider posting it in the Communities Library. Our current and future users will thank you for it. And you may make a friend while you're at it.