Welcome!

[reneeharper]

We have created this forum so that you have a place to discuss uses and issues with PROCs in your SAS programs.

If you are looking for coding examples that focus on a particular SAS procedure, you may be interested in these samples.

[deleted_user]

Excellent. A welcome addition, thank you.

[deleted_user]

Not sure how much work is involved with creating/maintaining the different forums, but i think a data step forum might be useful. topics might include:
- data manipulation
- functions
- arrays
- do loops
- (in)put statements
- set/merge/update statements
- hash objects
- etc.

just my $0.02

[reneeharper]

We discussed creating a Data step forum and it was decided that we would put it in the language elements forum. If that or any forum becomes really busy, we will divide the forum into multiple forums.

I want people to be able to easily scan the forum titles and locate their best shot at finding an answer. Do you think it would help to put Data step into the name of the Macro and language Elements forum?

What do others think about this subject?

[deleted_user]

I didn't even notice that the DATA Step was mentioned in the Macro forum, so I'd say putting it in the title would help

[deleted_user]

I noticed it was there, and wondered if that was appropriate. While most people use macro as a code builder, it is a language in itself and I feel it has functionality that means it can need specialist assistance.

However, having too many forums would also be counter productive, so I don't think it should be changed.

I note that date/time formats are named in the description, but formats are far more complex than just representing epoch based numeric values, consider control tables, picture formats and advanced use of formats. I would suggest dropping "date/time" from the description. I note Format is a named procedure in the previous forum, and this may cause some confusion. I think focusing these questions in one place is better.

While I am on the soapbox... the SAS forecasting forum strikes me as a little narrow. I wonder if predictive use of SAS with sampling and modeling procedures also belong here? I note too that the description still reads "forum to share you questions". I assume "you" is meant to be "your".

Kind regards

David

[Cynthia_sas]

testing reply feature only to debug. Hi, David. Bye David.
cynthia

[deleted_user]

Hi Cynthia
I raised a Tech Support track when I had the same problem a few days ago.

I was trying to compliment you on pointing out DateTime9. gives the Date9. appearance without data change. I was also going to remind you of the TOD. format which you hadn't mentioned.

It was fixed very quickly, and I was kept informed. That's why reporting things to Tech Support is good.
TTFN

[Cynthia_sas]

Ah, TOD. I --always--forget about TOD. The list is long and the neurons just do fail to fire sometimes. Thanks for reminding me!

I'm convinced that the folks in Tech Support are permanently wired, somehow, to the source of all SAS answers. They are, collectively, one of my favorite groups of SAS people.

cynthia

[deleted_user]

I agree, too many forums would get confusing and burdensome.

I guess I am among the myriads who have explicitly asked for a Base SAS programming forum to get generic programming questions out of the EG forum.

Besides, BASE SAS and programming in SAS is decades older than EG, so, in my opinion, it should actually be one of the base/parent forums.

Personally, I think the title should not head/lead with MACRO but simply be "SAS Programming" -- discussions about hand coding SAS: data steps, statements, functions, options, macros, etc.