default output library

[jklaverstijn]

Hi,

For new EG users, we want to change the default output library from SASUSER to WORK to avoid polution and overflowing of SASUSER.

I have read note 10788 that suggests to assign EGTASK as an alias for WORK. I have two issues with that (on which later) that raise the question: is there a administrative way to change the Eg client option for this from SASUSER to WORK?

The issues I have are:

1) EGTASK is an unknown phenomenon to our users who only just comprehend the concepts of WORK and SASUSER. They are analysts and not SAS programmers. They flow in and out of our projects on a quatrerly basis so they leave before before completing the learning curve.

2) If I enter (WORK) in the metadata to alias the libname to WORK, the resulting libname gets the default path preppended to it, probably because it does not start with the path separator (forward slash). The workspace server is on hp-ux in case that matters. So the suggested approach in the SAS note does not seem to work (or no longer does; the note refers to Eg 2). I now assign the library in the autoexe of the SASApp server, which works.

Any suggestions on the above?

Regards Jan.

[mojerry2]

I'm not an expert but when you're executing eguide he uses the config file defined on the server.

so if this is true you could put this little code :

libname sastest(work);

[Doc_Duke]

I would be hesitant to put that into the config file for the server.  Then it would apply to all users of the server, not just the EGuide ones.  That may be similar to what happens to the autoexec.sas on the SASapp server, though those rules are slightly different.

Another approach that is less autocratic is to assign the libname in the autoexec process flow on EGuide.  It is more of an educational approach than forcing SASUSER to map to WORK for all users and projects.  There are some benefits to using SASUSER when one is in the middle of a project (I prefer explicit libnames, but they are more work for the user).

Doc Muhlbaier

Duke

[jklaverstijn]

Thanks for the input.

Don't get me wrong. I do not intend to map SASUSER to WORK. I just want to change the default output library of EG tasks from SASUSER to WORK. The SAS note 10788 actually suggests to map EGTASK to WORK. We have some issues with that. SASUSER should for all intents and purposes remain untouched, for the reason you mentioned.

In line with your remarks I was actually looking for an approach that works at the client level, not the server (config, autoexec). The clients are local installations at the desktops and not server based (network file share, Citrix, ...).

Regards Jan.

[MichelleHomes]

Hi Jan,

Have you considered changing the default library order in Enterprise Guide? As you have found, by default, SAS Enterprise Guide (EG) tasks that generate output tables write the tables to the SASUSER library. You can change this default location by changing the order found in Tools=>Options=>Tasks=> Output Library.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Michelle

[jklaverstijn]

Hi Michelle, thanks. I am aware of this. In fact what we trying to achieve is to avoid users to have to go through these steps. They forget or ignore this.

regards Jan.

[ChrisHemedinger]

WORK is the default library (above SASUSER) in EG 4.3.  So if you're on 4.3, no change should be needed.

Chris

[jklaverstijn]

Thanks Chris this wonderful news. I do use 4.3 at other sites but had not noticed this. I think, from a sys admin point of view, this is a change for the better. By the way the case at hand is at the Dutch site you payed a visit last week.

While still stuck at 4.1 I figured out why the suggestions in note 10788 do not work. The pathname for work changes after the workspace server autoexec completes. I have some code in the ws autoexec that does LIBNAME EGTASK (WORK);.If I output the pathnames in the autoexec  I get:

work  : /usr/tmp/SAS_workF43C000060AF_atom

egtask:   /usr/tmp/SAS_workF43C000060AF_atom

But in EG things have changed:

work  : /usr/tmp/SAS_workF43C000060AF_atom/SAS_workBD43000060AF_atom

egtask: /usr/tmp/SAS_workF43C000060AF_atom

So the intended redirection of EGTASK to WORK does not work. I see this only happening when done from a code node in EG itself which we do not want to burden out users with.

So final conclusion is: we live with it until 4.3 is implemented.

BTW: Nice trickery to re-assign work after SAS has started. Didn't think this was possible.