Preserve color of SAS log when saving

[Linkachu]

It would be wonderful if the color of the text was retained when you saved the SAS log as an RTF file using "Save As" or PROC PRINTTO. It looks like there might be some ways around this by editing configuration files but I think it should be the default behavior or at least an option the user can change when in the program.

There has been some discussion about this in the past:

https://communities.sas.com/t5/Base-SAS-Programming/Preserving-Color-Coding-in-Log-Window-when-savin...

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/comp.soft-sys.sas/SkTR6bmBSEk

[Tom]

Does SAS actually save color in the SAS log or is Display Manager just applying a set of rules to the lines of text to generate the color in the LOG window?  If so can SAS publish those rules?

[Quentin]

@Tom, Chris H. describes how EG log coloring works in this thread, and links to a paper he wrote with a bit more info.  Looks like it's not just text parsing.  https://communities.sas.com/kntur85557/board/message?board.id=sas_eg&message.id=17774#M17774

[JodyC_SAS]

I had a chance to test the undocumented system option $rtfcolor in Display Manager System (DMS). The syntax to insert the option in the sasv9.cfg file is: 

 -$rtfcolor

After invoking a new SAS session, I made the log window the active window and selected SAVE AS. I named the file and used the SAVE AS TYPE drop down menu to select RTF. 

The contents of the log in the resulting RTF file retained the color formatting. Using the WRTFSAVE command also worked as long as I had invoked SAS with the $rtfcolor system option. 

SAS Studio is in an active development state. I passed your suggestion to the developers to  allow the log window in SAS Studio to be saved as type RTF and retain the color formatting.