topic Re: [Feature suggestion] Implement VIM in the SAS base and SAS Enterprise Guide in SAS Programming

[Feature suggestion] Implement VIM in the SAS base and SAS Enterprise Guide

rasmuslarsen — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 07:05:52 GMT

I suggest that VIM keybindings are implemented in the SAS interactive development environments (like SAS base and SAS EG).

VIM is great because it can make you a vastly more productive programmer.

Here is an example of what it can do:

https://jaxbot.me/articles/why-i-use-vim

The following IDEs already have implemented optional VIM functionality (why not do the same in SAS):

Microsoft Visual Studio

Microsoft SQL Management Studio

The Rstudio ( using this open source ressource http://ace.c9.io/#nav=about )

The Pycharm IDE for Python

Sublime Text (general editor)

VIM modes for Chrome browser and Firefox also exists.

If this is not the place for feature suggestions I would appreciate a link in the right direction. If no place for feature suggestions exist i suggest that one is created.

Re: [Feature suggestion] Implement VIM in the SAS base and SAS Enterprise Guide

ChrisNZ — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 11:10:54 GMT

Suggestions should be posted in "SAS Software ballot ideas."

Re: [Feature suggestion] Implement VIM in the SAS base and SAS Enterprise Guide

RW9 — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 12:59:17 GMT

Is this not covered by Abbreviations. If you goto Tools->Add Abbreviation, you can type in a short phrase, say #sql, and this can be expanded directly to:

proc sql;

create table ... as

select

from

where

;

quit;

Don't get me wrong though, the "Enhanced Editor" really does need replacing with any one of the numerous editors out there.

Re: [Feature suggestion] Implement VIM in the SAS base and SAS Enterprise Guide

ballardw — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 14:24:11 GMT

If I were pushing for a specific editor my particular choice would be the old IBM "Enhanced Programming Editor" that shipped with OS/2.

Stubs of code are minor compared to an editor macro that is flexible enough to play and win games of tic-tac-toe and do random selections from lists.

Re: [Feature suggestion] Implement VIM in the SAS base and SAS Enterprise Guide

rasmuslarsen — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 07:51:19 GMT

The abbreviations is only a tiny part of what VIM can do, eg. the whole modal editing perspective.

Here is an answer on stackoverflow which explains more: http://stackoverflow.com/a/1220118/1831980

Re: [Feature suggestion] Implement VIM in the SAS base and SAS Enterprise Guide

rasmuslarsen — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 07:50:50 GMT

VIM is much more than stubs of code 🙂

Here is an answer on stackoverflow which explains more: http://stackoverflow.com/a/1220118/1831980

Re: [Feature suggestion] Implement VIM in the SAS base and SAS Enterprise Guide

rasmuslarsen — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 12:48:23 GMT

Thanks, I will move the post 🙂

Re: [Feature suggestion] Implement VIM in the SAS base and SAS Enterprise Guide

rasmuslarsen — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 12:49:48 GMT

Wait, I cant find "Software Ballot Ideas" where is it? 🙂

Re: [Feature suggestion] Implement VIM in the SAS base and SAS Enterprise Guide

rasmuslarsen — Mon, 04 Sep 2017 08:13:18 GMT

You can do that in Vim as well. Here are examples games created using only Vim. Of course this is only for fun, but shows the power of Vim.

Arkanoid

https://github.com/johngrib/vim-game-code-break

Snake:

https://github.com/johngrib/vim-game-snake

Tetris:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_27mpiU-Zmg

And of course do all sorts of selection. E.g. random or weighted random:

https://github.com/tkhren/vim-fake

Re: [Feature suggestion] Implement VIM in the SAS base and SAS Enterprise Guide

Patrick — Mon, 04 Sep 2017 08:27:54 GMT

@rasmuslarsen

Just curious: When Googling SAS VIM there are hits. It's not official SAS released but have you tried any of these? And if yes: Anything working and adding value?

Re: [Feature suggestion] Implement VIM in the SAS base and SAS Enterprise Guide

rasmuslarsen — Mon, 04 Sep 2017 09:45:17 GMT

Some of the implementations are either syntax highlighting, code completetion or indentation, which is nice but they cannot run SAS code.

However, other implementations can run SAS code, but as far as I can see only in batch mode (I hope I'm wrong):

http://jiangtanghu.com/blog/2011/11/13/vim-as-a-sas-ide/

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~knassen/vim/sasfns.html#loadsaslog (unix mostly)

https://atom.io/packages/language-sas

Re: [Feature suggestion] Implement VIM in the SAS base and SAS Enterprise Guide

gamotte — Mon, 04 Sep 2017 10:25:40 GMT

Hello,

https://communities.sas.com/t5/SASware-Ballot-Ideas/Edit-programs-in-an-external-editor/idi-p/220352

It seems that SAS EG, since release 7.12, allows to open a program in an external editor. From what I understand, you cannot

run the program from Vim but saved changes will prompt the same program opened in EG for reload.

Re: [Feature suggestion] Implement VIM in the SAS base and SAS Enterprise Guide

ChrisBrooks — Mon, 04 Sep 2017 10:52:22 GMT

A SAS program is just a text file so you can edit it in any text editor - my personal favourite is UltraEdit but each to their own (except I've never seen the attraction of vi - "It'll be nice when it's finished" has always been my reaction to it's arcane syntax...)

Re: [Feature suggestion] Implement VIM in the SAS base and SAS Enterprise Guide

rasmuslarsen — Mon, 04 Sep 2017 11:22:41 GMT

This discussion is about how to run SAS-code using Vim (or possibly Vim emulation in SAS Legacy), not just edit.

Ultraedit looks great! And, yes, learning Vim syntax takes some time, but it is well worth it 🙂

Here is a great explanation of Vim syntax:

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1218390/what-is-your-most-productive-shortcut-with-vim/1220118#1220118

Re: [Feature suggestion] Implement VIM in the SAS base and SAS Enterprise Guide

rasmuslarsen — Mon, 04 Sep 2017 11:47:38 GMT

Thanks! This could be a good workaround 🙂

Re: [Feature suggestion] Implement VIM in the SAS base and SAS Enterprise Guide

gamotte — Mon, 04 Sep 2017 12:44:15 GMT

Another workaround is to create a program with a simple include of the program

you edit in Vim. If you work on a remote server with EG, there is a plugin that allows to upload

files as part of an EG project

http://blogs.sas.com/content/sasdummy/2012/12/06/copy-files-in-sas-eg/

so you can chain the upload with an include of the program you edit in vim.

You the execute the branch with the upload and the include each time you want to

test your saved modifications.