Looking for experienced SAS package developer

[bmngatia]

Our team is looking for a SAS programmer to work on a package for assessment of fetal, neonatal, and child growth.

The package is available as a STATA package (https://github.com/lshtm-gigs/gigs-stata) and R package (https://github.com/lshtm-gigs/gigs/) and include some functions for classifying common growth patterns including stunting, wasting, and size-for-GA.

We now want someone with expertise in SAS to program these packages to be available as a SAS package. This would suit someone who can understand STATA or R code as the main task would be to convert the STATA/R functions to SAS code as a package.

If you are interested, please reach out to me. Thanks.

[yabwon]

What type of SAS Package do you mean? Is it the one generated with SAS Packages Framework: https://github.com/yabwon/SAS_PACKAGES ?

For example like those packages available at: https://github.com/orgs/SASPAC/repositories ?

Or maybe other type?

All the best

Bart

[bmngatia]

Hi Bart,

Thanks for your reply.

We are looking for a stand-alone SAS package that can be made available in a GitHub repository. It would be like the custom packages developed for R (or similarly, like the custom libraries developed for Python).

The package should have user-defined functions to perform procedures similar to those contained in the R and Stata packages that have already been developed under our project.

If the SAS Packages Framework can be used to develop such a package, then yes, it would be useful.

Thanks.

Best,

Bancy

[yabwon]

Hi Bancy,

What can I say, than: that is the very reason why SAS Packages Framework exists 🙂

Here is the latest video presentation about the SPF: https://youtu.be/T52Omisi0dk&t=0s

Here is online tutorial on "how to use and develop" SAS Packages: https://github.com/yabwon/HoW-SASPackages with help of SPF.

During upcoming PharmaSUG I'll have 4h seminar/workshop on SAS packages too.

All the best

Bart

[bmngatia]

Thank you for sharing these wonderful and helpful resources, Bart. I will check out the video to learn more.

As we do not have the benefit of immense experience developing SAS packages, and given the constraints of time, we were hoping to get someone who already knows how to use these tools, such as the SPF, to develop a SAS package.

Would you be in a position to assist us in developing the package, or perhaps share some referrals who could help?

Thanks.

[yabwon]

I wrote that stuff from scratch, so you can say I know it a bit 😉

Feel free to ask (either here of in PM), I'll be more than happy to help. 

Bart

[bmngatia]

Great stuff, Bart! Congrats on the brilliant work done in developing the SPF! 👏

I will PM you for further discussions. Thanks. 🙏

[yabwon]

Thank you for kind words. 🙂

Paraphrasing U2 song:

But I still haven't found a way to convince SAS (Inst.) it... 😉 

Here is one initiative: https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Product-Suggestions/Add-SAS-Packages-Framework-to-the-SAS-Base-Vi...

Will check PM.

Bart

[bmngatia]

Great initiative there! Hope you get all the support from SAS and users to get SPF implemented in SAS Base. 👏 😊

Thanks, Bart.

[sbxkoenk]

Usually when something from R, STATA or MATLAB needs to be recoded into SAS, then ... IML (Interactive Matrix Language) is used for that. But only of course if no standard procedure exists in our statistical, econometric and optimization products. The standard procedures are preferred, but for all the other techniques / methods / algorithms, IML is the ideal choice!

Of course, you can also propose to SAS R&D and ask if they want to plug your package into the standard SAS software; they can, but that process takes a while. That IML way ... you can immediately start doing that yourself.

And here is how to create IML packages:

• Packages: A new way to share SAS/IML programs
  By Rick Wicklin on The DO Loop April 27, 2016
  https://blogs.sas.com/content/iml/2016/04/27/packages-share-sas-iml-programs-html.html
• Create a package in SAS/IML
  By Rick Wicklin on The DO Loop May 4, 2016
  https://blogs.sas.com/content/iml/2016/05/04/create-package-sasiml.html
• Video: Writing packages: A new way to distribute and use SAS/IML programs
  By Rick Wicklin on The DO Loop August 3, 2016
  https://blogs.sas.com/content/iml/2016/08/03/video-writing-packages-sasiml.html

Koen

[yabwon]

One disadvantage is that IML requires separate license. 

Other is that IML package for IML... 

With SPF you can have macros, functions(FCMP and CASL), formats/informats, data, and IML modules 🙂

Bart

[sbxkoenk]

Don't get me wrong @yabwon . I do not doubt the added value of SPF.

Koen

[Ksharp]

If you want a sas package similar with R,
you need SAS/IML, and if I was right SAS/IML is totally free ,no need money any more.
Check @Rick_SAS blog to see how to build a package:

https://blogs.sas.com/content/iml/2016/05/04/create-package-sasiml.html
https://blogs.sas.com/content/iml/2016/08/03/video-writing-packages-sasiml.html
https://blogs.sas.com/content/iml/2016/04/27/packages-share-sas-iml-programs-html.html

[JimLoughlin]

Every place I have been, SAS/IML is a separately licensed product.

[AlanC]

Agreed Jim, IML is not free.