SAS EG prompt manager: select values from static list

[sasecn]

Hello:

I am using SAS EG 7 prompt manger -- select values from a static list to run a report. I am running on local server, so select from a dynamic list is not an option for me. I am wondering if there is a way that the values in the static list can be updated every time if the underline table was updated.

For example,  today I get a table which is a part of sashelp.cars only including Make = Acura and Audi, then create a macro variable "Choose_Make" in prompt manager (prompt type: select values from a static list) which is defined by using "Get Values" from the table, so now the prompt only shows "Acura" and "Audi". Then, tomorrow I get a new table which includs Make = Acura, Audi and BMW. Is there any way without modifying the prompt manager and getting all values (Acura, Audi and BMW) of Make? Or, I have to manually update the macro variable by "Get Values" again?

Sorry, not sure how to describe my question using code here. 

Thanks for any help!

[jimbarbour]

I believe that if you have a SAS dataset defined in the metadata server that you can get a dynamic list in a SAS  prompt.  Otherwise, I think that EG prompts are a rather static.

Jim

[sasecn]

That's what I thought. Too bad I am running SAS on local only, no matadata server. Just wondering if there is other ways to do it on local.

Thanks for your reply.

[jimbarbour]

Do you have a good working relationship with your SAS Admin?  🙂  They should be able to make the SAS Metadata Server available to you.  I'm not a SAS Admin, but I think the Metadata server has to be up and running for ID's to be defined for Enterprise Guide.  Therefore I think that if you have Enterprise Guide that you also should have the SAS Metadata Server available to you.  There's no reason that a Metadata Server can't be set up and "SAS Folders" (which is what EG prompts need) defined.  SAS Folders defined via the SAS Metadata Server are basically Libnames, but they have been defined via the Metadata Server.  Enterprise Guide can't "see" regular Libnames; they have to be defined through the Metadata Server.

Jim

[sasecn]

Agree! I am contacting my SAS support team in my company to set up the EG profile to connect to matadata server. It will be the easy way to do this task.

[jimbarbour]

Sounds good.  Please let me know how it goes.

Jim

[sasecn]

Will let you know. I believe the dynamic list should be the best solution. Just a follow up question: does EG has the ability to create popup windows that can display variable values? I looked at internet, there is %window can be use, but seems not available in EG. I am just thinking about another way to do this. For example, adding two prompts in the program. First to ask user to enter values for a prompt, the second display the available values to enter on screen in a popup window. Just a thought 😀 

[jimbarbour]

No, the %Window type commands are to my knowledge only available in SAS Display Manager (the original SAS interface for Windows).

I am not aware of another way to get pop-ups to appear, although I suppose you could spawn off a process outside of SAS using SYSTASK.  That however sounds quite complicated.

Enterprise Guide is designed to run on a server whereas Display Manager is intended to run on the same machine the SAS install is on.  For example, one popular set up is to have SAS running on a Linux server and then have users running Enterprise Guide on a Windows desktop/laptop.  Since the execution is on a different machine which may not have even the same operating system, it's difficult to design a way to create interactive prompts that are executed from within a SAS program.

Your question is fairly specific to Enterprise Guide.  Have you tried posting in the Enterprise Guide community?  If you find anything out, please report back here!

Jim

[sasecn]

I asked the question in EG. Will see.

[sasecn]

I got reply from EG:
Unfortunately, dynamic prompt values are supported only with stored processes (requiring metadata setup). Project prompts don't support dynamic prompt values.

Looks like only option is set up metadata server 🙂