topic Re: Learning SAS on the Mainframe in SAS Programming

Learning SAS on the Mainframe

JPM333 — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 17:18:03 GMT

I'm a longtime Cobol programmer on the Mainframe who is now trying to learn SAS on the Mainframe. My first two wrong steps were I purchased both The little SAS Enterprise Guide Book and SAS for Dummies both of which are great if you want to learn on a PC but pretty much worthless on the mainframe.

Does anyone know of a book I can use to learn SAS on the Mainframe, something I can use to look up the proper syntax or looking up how to do this or that?

To say I'm frustrated would be an understatement.

Thank you for any help you can give me.

Re: Learning SAS on the Mainframe

WarrenKuhfeld — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 18:39:01 GMT

Those books will be helpful. Most of SAS does not depend on the machine. This might help

http://go.documentation.sas.com/?docsetId=hosto390&docsetTarget=titlepage.htm&docsetVersion=9.4&locale=en

Re: Learning SAS on the Mainframe

Astounding — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 18:37:05 GMT

A few recommendations to get you started ...

Ask a SAS programmer for a sample JOB and EXEC statement. Technically, that's enough to get you started.

Add a DD statement for an existing text file, that you can use as source data for your experiments. (You'll be reading it only, not writing to it.)

SAS used to publish (maybe still does) a SAS Companion for each operating system. I don't recall the name specifically, but it would be something like SAS Companion for the Mainframe, or SAS Companion for OS/370 ... something along those lines.

Write a SAS program to read the data from your DD statement into a SAS data set.

Coupled with what you already have, that should be more than enough to move in the right direction.

Good luck.

Re: Learning SAS on the Mainframe

JPM333 — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 18:58:40 GMT

Thank you for the link, but it doesn't seem to be working for me.

Re: Learning SAS on the Mainframe

JPM333 — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 19:00:09 GMT

Thank you for information. I have the basics already, I just want something more that I can use as reference or more advanced programing.

Re: Learning SAS on the Mainframe

WarrenKuhfeld — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 19:04:44 GMT

Sorry. Links for SAS employees and the rest of the world are different.

I googled: sas companion for mvs 9.4

See if this version works for you. I am trying to point you to the SAS companion for the mainframe.

http://go.documentation.sas.com/?docsetId=hosto390&docsetTarget=titlepage.htm&docsetVersion=9.4&locale=en

Re: Learning SAS on the Mainframe

Astounding — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 20:29:17 GMT

Here's a book (available through SAS Press) that might be more suitable for your needs.

Learning SAS by Example: A Programmer's Guide

Author is Ron Cody.

Re: Learning SAS on the Mainframe

JPM333 — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 21:57:01 GMT

Thank you, this link worked. It seems this and the book listed are what I need.

Re: Learning SAS on the Mainframe

JPM333 — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 21:58:02 GMT

I'm going to spend more and buy this as well, thank you.