SAS Tip: Using NOTE, WARNING, ERROR in Your Generated Messages

[SAS_Tipster]

Did you know that if you use '''NOTE:''', '''WARNING:''' or '''ERROR:''' (all CAPS) at the beginning of messages that your programs write to the SAS log with PUT, PUTLOG, or %PUT statements that SAS will treat those messages like its own messages?

• They will be highlighted in color (by default, blue for '''NOTE:''', green for '''WARNING:''', and red for '''ERROR:''').
• Messages that begin with '''NOTE:''' can be controlled with '''OPTIONS NOTES/NONOTES'''.
• Messages that begin with '''ERROR:''' will be summarized at the end of the SAS Log.
• Messages that begin with '''WARNING:''' are typically informational, but more important than '''NOTE:''' (and, as such, should not be ''turned off'').

If you use '''NOTE-''', '''WARNING-''' or '''ERROR-''', the color-coded result will be the same, except that key words NOTE:, WARNING: and ERROR: won't be printed.

---

Thanks to Don Henderson for sharing this tip on sasCommunity.org.