Turning off all output in large simulation jobs

[polarjud]

I frequently write SAS macros that call SAS procedures thousands of times.  I would like to prevent any output from being created other than ODS outputs that I request from the procedures.  However, some procedures like SurveyReg seem to send copious output to the lisitng file or the HTML destination no matter what I try.  It is particularly annoying in interactive mode.  Is there any way to prevent the results window from being populated? 

[ElenaT]

I work with SAS EG. I use proc printto to save log output into specified location. I hope it can be used also for output.

proc printto log='Path of the file' new;

run;

The keyword NEW will update the file every time you run the code.

To cancel this:

proc printto;

run;

Hope it will help.

[Reeza]

You can close the listing destination, ie

ods listing close; *to turn off output;

ods html close;

ods html;

ods listing; *to turn on;

And you can use proc printto to redirect the log.

[polarjud]

Thanks, but neither "ods listing close" nor "ods html close" prevent the results windw from filling up.  Also, Proc printto just sends things somewhere else.  I want it all to disappear without a trace into the ether. 

[Reeza]

What results window are you referring to? And what version of SAS and output destination are you using?

Turning on ods listing close; is supposed to make all the results disappear into the ether.

ods listing close;

proc print data=sashelp.class;

run;

You shouldn't have anything go to any output destination then. If it still is, post a sample of the code you're using to see where the error might be.

[polarjud]

In interactive mode of SAS (both 9.2 and 9.3) there is a "Results" window that holds a bookmark for every output data set created by every proc.  When running a simulation job, the number of bookmarks can be very large. 

[Reeza]

Then ods listing close will definitely work.

So there's something else in your code that is causing issues which I can't tell without seeing the code.

When you run the code below do you get the entry in the result tab and in the listing or html output?

ods _all_ close;

title 'is this in my result window?';

proc print data=sashelp.class;

run;

ods listing;

[polarjud]

Well, the command is successful in preventing a simple proc print output from appearing in the results window, but when I use the following code insided an iteracted do loop with 2000 replications, I get 4000 bookmarks in the results window even after applying ods listing close (interactive mode).  There are 2000 bookmarks for "estimates" and 2000 for "joint."

proc surveyreg data=mydata;

  cluster mycluster;

  class treatment outcome;

  model myvar=treatment*outcome/solution;

  weight myweight;

  estimate

    'tvalue1'  treatment*outcome -1 0 1 0,

    'tvalue2' treatment*outcome 0 -1 0 1/

    joint (label="mylabel");

  ods ouput estimates=estimates contrasts=joint;

run:

[Reeza]

The bookmarks hold only the SAS dataset created though, correct?

I don't know a way around that.

You shouldn't have any output in an output window.

[polarjud]

Correct.  Exactly.  I have not been able to find a way around it either. Frustrating since filling the results window with all those bookmarks or clearing them all out again does take a noticeable lag of time.  

[Reeza · Accepted solution]

ods noresults;

What does that do?

[polarjud]

Eureka!  Thanks.  That does it alright.