DATA steps that write SAS programs

[acanes]

In the exam content tab of the Advanced Certification Exam Program it says the exam has

Reduce programming time by developing reusable SAS programs which incorporate data step views, DATA steps that write SAS programs, and the FCMP procedure.

Does anybody know what DATA steps that write SAS programs means or where I can find documentation on this subject?

[Cynthia_sas]

You might want to look at the use of all the different ways that CALL EXECUTE with a DATA step program can write SAS code that will be executed as soon as the DATA step program is over.
http://support.sas.com/documentation/cdl/en/mcrolref/61885/HTML/default/viewer.htm#a000543697.htm
http://www2.sas.com/proceedings/sugi22/CODERS/PAPER86.PDF
http://www2.sas.com/proceedings/sugi22/CODERS/PAPER70.PDF
http://www2.sas.com/proceedings/sugi30/027-30.pdf
http://www.lexjansen.com/pharmasug/2008/po/po11.pdf

cynthia

[chang_y_chung_hotmail_com]

There isn't anything special about "Data steps that write SAS programs." SAS code is text strings and data steps can handle text strings with no problem. Here is a simple example:



/* a data step that generates a sas program */

data _null_;

  file "c:\temp\code.sas";

  input;

  put _infile_;

cards4;

  proc print data=sashelp.class;

  run;

;;;;

run;

 

/* one way to run the generated program */

%inc "c:\temp\code.sas" / source; 

[Doc_Duke]

Acanes,

Your question is about something that is generically called "automatic programming."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_programming

I frequently use the technique to read the metadata from a database to generate the descriptive statements (LABELs and such) related to the data that is coming in from other tables in the database. Cynthia and Chang showed you other examples.

Doc Muhlbaier
Duke