What is the best SAS-EG programming language reference?

[Martin_Bryant]

I've been using the SAS® Component Language 9.4: Reference, Third Edition, but it's really not very helpful. Is there a better language reference for writing SAS-EGH code? Something that I can type "proc format" into that will actually give me the definition of the syntax with examples? I know that the above has these in but finding them is just not easy. Especially for beginners. Thanks.

[Kurt_Bremser]

Bookmark this: SAS 9.4 Programming 

If you need assistance in navigating it (some things are not that easy to find), feel free to ask.

[PaigeMiller]

Alphabetical list of documentation to all SAS PROCs https://documentation.sas.com/?cdcId=pgmsascdc&cdcVersion=9.4_3.4&docsetId=allprodsproc&docsetTarget...

Alphabetical list of documentation to all SAS Functions: https://documentation.sas.com/?cdcId=pgmmvacdc&cdcVersion=9.4&docsetId=allprodslang&docsetTarget=syn...

Alphabetical list of documentation to all SAS Statements: https://documentation.sas.com/?cdcId=pgmmvacdc&cdcVersion=9.4&docsetId=allprodslang&docsetTarget=syn...

Alphabetical list of documentation to all SAS Formats: https://documentation.sas.com/?cdcId=pgmmvacdc&cdcVersion=9.4&docsetId=allprodslang&docsetTarget=syn...

Alphabetical list of documentation to all SAS Informats: https://documentation.sas.com/?cdcId=pgmmvacdc&cdcVersion=9.4&docsetId=allprodslang&docsetTarget=syn...

[Martin_Bryant]

I'm using those suggestions now, thanks. Still hoping there is a more intuitive reference guide out there somewhere.

[PaigeMiller]

The documentation for SAS is huge (as in huge huge huge to the 42nd power), no one knows it all, and it would be difficult to imagine something more intuitive than a search engine, or alphabetical lists. What did you have in mind?

[Martin_Bryant]

Hi, the problem initially was that using 9.3 docs, when I typed in proc format, it didn't actually give me a link to the definition of proc format. I've used a lot of hyperlinked help systems over the past few decades and unfortunately I can't say that this was one of the better ones. However, I am happy to say that 9.4 looks better.

I appreciate that SAS-EG is a bit of a beat, but I'ved other systems that just seemed to work a lot better.

[PaigeMiller]

To tell you the truth (and don't tell anyone at SAS I said this), Google often does better searches of the SAS documentation than the SAS web site does.

So, if you Google for this

proc format site:documentation.sas.com

I usually get faster results and more relevant results. But not always.

[SASKiwi]

@PaigeMiller - Sad but true.

[Martin_Bryant]

Yes, I tend to use DDG, but I think that it is also true for that.

[PaigeMiller]

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@Martin_Bryant wrote:
Yes, I tend to use DDG, but I think that it is also true for that.

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I don't know what DDG is. I don't understand the rest of your statement.

[Martin_Bryant]

www.duckduckgo.com - privacy based search engine.

[Kurt_Bremser]

One must not forget that the Google people are, by necessity, the world champions of cataloging web data and making it searchable. IMO, website maintainers would be well advised to simply hand all the searching off to Google.

[Martin_Bryant]

I can't agree, I'm, afraid. Whilst they may well be the best in terms of commercial search, the issue comes down (IMO) to trustworthiness and I would never want one commercial organisation to be the only guardians of knowledge. They are pretty much unregulated and search terms are boosted for cash, nothing else.

I confess that I'm an Open Source guy, so that would give me a bias.

[PhilC]

I'm trying to ask SAS to add a link in mouse-over text (SAS Integrated Syntax Help) to call Google with "site:documentation.sas.com" in addition to the link to Google with "site:support.sas.com".  Please vote it up.  

Add link to mouse-over text that calls web browser... - SAS Support Communities