How to document and understand the transformations performed in SAS programs?

[PierreDupuisD]

As part of the modernization and migration of our applications from SAS 9.4 to SAS Viya, we are seeking to better understand the transformations performed by our SAS programs. However, since we primarily use "flat" code (15000 .sas files), SAS representatives have confirmed that there is no simple or automated way to analyze the code or generate lineage.

Therefore, we would like to know if there are any modules, approaches, or best practices that can be used to document and understand the transformations performed in SAS programs, as this is becoming an essential requirement for our data governance. 

[sbxkoenk · Accepted solution]

There's a SAS^® 9 Content Assessment tool you may want to look into.

There are certainly consultants in the SAS office in your country who are familiar with this tool (and all its applications). They can help you run the tool and consolidate and interpret the output.

SAS^® 9 Content Assessment

https://go.documentation.sas.com/doc/en/sasadmincdc/v_071/contentassessment/titlepage.htm

There's also a PROC SCAPROC.

The SCAPROC procedure implements the SAS Code Analyzer, which captures information about input, output, and the use of macro symbols from a SAS job while it is running.

It records the steps in your program (while it is running) and writes information from the SAS Code Analyzer to an external file (*.txt). You then have to parse and process the file and subsequently build meaningful reports with the collected information (collected data).

SAS Help Center: Overview: PROC SCAPROC

You should understand from the above there is still some work to be done to generate a complete lineage. 🙁

BR, Koen