When building complex flows in SAS Studio, repeatedly running every step just to test a small change can quickly become frustrating. Whether you are debugging a transformation, validating intermediate results, or experimenting with new logic, rerunning unnecessary nodes slows development and makes troubleshooting harder. The Exclude from run feature, introduced in Stable 2025.12, helps streamline this process by allowing you to temporarily skip selected nodes during execution. This post explains how it works, when to use it, and practical examples of how it can simplify your flow development.     Running Flows in SAS Studio   In SAS Studio, each node in a flow represents a step such as importing, querying, transforming, or exporting data. During development, you can:   Run the entire flow to execute all nodes in sequence Run a single selected node to validate a specific step Run nodes downstream to execute the selected node and everything that follows Run nodes upstream to prepare input data without running the selected node itself   The Exclude from run feature adds even more flexibility by allowing you to temporarily skip selected nodes during execution. Excluded nodes remain part of the flow but are not run, making it easier to test and debug flows without repeatedly executing unnecessary steps.     Excluding a Node from a Flow   To exclude a node from running, right-click the node on the flow canvas and select Exclude from run. The node appears disabled on the canvas, making it clear which steps will be skipped.   In the example shown, the flow imports and prepares customer loan data through several transformation steps before splitting the data by loan type and exporting the results to Excel.   Select any image to see a larger version. Mobile users: To view the images, select the "Full" version at the bottom of the page.   When refining a flow, you might make changes to an upstream node such as Calculate Columns or Add County_X_Y and want to validate the transformed table output without repeatedly running the export process. To achieve this, right-click on the node labelled Export to Excel and select Exclude from run.      If the Export to Excel node is excluded, the flow still processes and creates the intermediate output tables, but the Excel export step is skipped. This allows you to validate upstream transformations without repeatedly generating output files, reducing run time and speeding up iteration.     Excluded nodes remain part of the flow design and can be re-enabled at any time. However, you should avoid excluding nodes that are required for downstream processing, as this can result in errors or incomplete outputs.       Real-World Examples   Excluding nodes can simplify several common development tasks, from troubleshooting flows to reducing unnecessary processing while testing changes   Debugging a Broken Flow: If a flow fails after adding a new node, you can exclude that node and run the flow again. If the flow succeeds, you have quickly identified the source of the issue. Testing Data at Different Stages: If your final output looks incorrect, you can exclude downstream nodes to inspect intermediate results. For example, excluding a calculation step allows you to validate the data produced by a join before further transformations are applied. Improving Performance During Development: Export steps, large aggregations, or complex calculations can add unnecessary run time while you are still refining upstream logic. Excluding these nodes allows you to iterate faster and focus only on the parts of the flow you are actively developing. Comparing Alternative Logic: If you want to test a new approach, you can exclude an existing node and add a new one alongside it. This allows you to experiment without deleting or rebuilding your original logic.     Considerations When Excluding Nodes   Excluded nodes are skipped during execution but still remain part of the flow design, so it is worth keeping dependencies in mind when testing changes.   Table nodes cannot be excluded from a run, and excluding nodes that produce data required by downstream steps can result in errors or incomplete outputs. For example, if an excluded node creates a column that is referenced later in the flow, subsequent nodes may fail during execution.   When working with excluded nodes, it is a good practice to:   Check whether downstream nodes depend on outputs from the excluded nod Re-enable excluded nodes before production execution if required Keep flows organized and clearly labeled to simplify troubleshooting and maintenance     Final Thoughts   Exclude from run is a small feature, but it can have a big impact on day-to-day flow development. By allowing you to selectively skip nodes, SAS Studio makes it easier to troubleshoot issues, validate transformations, and iterate on complex flows without constantly rerunning the entire pipeline.   For teams building larger and more sophisticated flows in SAS Viya, this added flexibility can make development faster, cleaner, and significantly more efficient.   What scenario will you use it for?      Find more articles from SAS Global Enablement and Learning here. ... View more

Flow design in SAS Studio on SAS Viya is now more dynamic and reusable.   As of SAS Viya stable release 2026.03 you can configure parameters and prompts within flows, allowing users to provide input values at runtime without modifying code.   This allows flows to adapt to different inputs while keeping the underlying logic unchanged.     Understanding Parameters and Prompts   In SAS Studio flows, parameters and prompts work together to make flows reusable and flexible.   This flow includes two parameters that enable users to dynamically filter results based on Origin and MSRP columns.     A parameter is a named variable that stores a value used within a flow. Parameters are the same as SAS macro variables, they perform text substitution and can be referenced throughout the flow, including in SAS Program steps or steps that include filters.   A prompt is the user interface that allows someone running the flow to provide a value for that parameter at runtime. Prompts enable users to dynamically assign values through an interface such as input fields, date pickers, or drop-down lists.   In simple terms:   Parameter – the variable used in the flow (like a macro variable) Prompt – the way a user provides the value via the interface   This allows the same flow to be reused with different inputs without modifying the flow itself.     Why Use a Prompt?   If you’re familiar with prompts in Enterprise Guide, prompts in SAS Studio deliver the same flexibility within a modern, cloud-native flow architecture in SAS Viya. Instead of hardcoding values or updating steps each time a date, region, or threshold changes, you define a parameter once and allow users to provide values dynamically at runtime through prompts.   This makes flows more:   Reusable – Build once and run with different inputs Flexible – Adjust logic without editing code Controlled – Use structured inputs like drop-down lists User-friendly – Provide a clean runtime input experience   In short, prompts transform static flows into reusable and adaptable data pipelines.     Current Capabilities   Prompts support several input types that allow users to provide values at runtime. These values can be referenced throughout the flow to dynamically adjust logic without modifying the flow.     Prompt Types   The following prompt types are currently available:   Text or Numeric field – Accepts free-form text input or numeric values Date and Time picker – Allows users to select a calendar date or a specific time Drop-down list - Provides a predefined set of selectable values (static) or dynamically populates values from a variable (dynamic).   Support for additional prompt types will continue to expand in future releases.     Supported Steps   Parameters can currently be used in the following flow steps:   SAS Program steps Steps that contain a filter (for example, the Query and Branch rows steps)   Support for additional steps will expand in future releases, allowing parameters to be used across more parts of a flow.     Creating and Using Parameters and Prompts   This demonstration illustrates how to build a simple SAS Studio flow that uses parameters to control data filtering. The flow uses the CARS sample table and allows the user to dynamically filter results based on selected criteria.   A Query step is used to create an output table that filters records based on the selected Origin value. The Generate CSV File snippet is then used to produce a CSV file that contains only records where the MSRP is greater than a user-specified value.   Although both sets of filtering could be performed in a single Query step, the query output is designed to support additional processing. In a typical workflow, multiple steps can be connected to the output port of the query node, allowing the filtered dataset to be reused in further analysis or reporting.   **Video available or see the expanded steps below**       Create a new flow.   Starting with a blank flow, open the Parameters pane by selecting Parameters on the right vertical flow menu.   Blank flow canvas with the Parameters button highlighted on the right vertical pane.     Create the Origin prompt   a. Click Add in the Parameters pane.   Blank flow canvas with the Add button highlighted in the Parameters pane.     b. In the Add Parameter window, click the Name box and type Origin.   c. Leave Prompt at runtime checked.   d. Enable the Required checkbox to force the user to enter or select a value when the flow runs.   Add Parameter dialog window with the parameter named Origin.     e. Select the Properties tab.   f. Click the Control type drop-down menu and select Drop-down list.   g. Add a label of Choose an Origin: (this is the label users will see when prompted)   h. Select Dynamic list.   i. Select Browse and choose SASHELP.   j. Click the Table name box and enter CARS.   k. For the Column name, click Select a column, choose Origin and click OK.   l. For the Default item, click Select a value and select Europe and click OK.   m. Click OK.   The Properties tab in the Add Parameter window showing the dynamic list is configured from SASHELP.CARS using the Origin column with a default value of Europe.     Create the MSRP prompt   a. Click Add again in the Parameters pane.   Parameters pane with the parameter named Origin.     b. Click the Name box and type MSRP.   c. Leave Prompt at runtime checked.   d. Enable the Required checkbox to force the user to enter or select a value when the flow runs.   Add Parameter dialog window with the parameter named MSRP.     e. Click the Properties tab.   f. Leave Control type as Text or numeric field.   g. Add a label of Add an MSRP value:.   h. Click the Type drop-down and choose Numeric.   i. Select the Default value box and enter 50000.   j. Click OK.   Second parameter configured as a numeric input field.     Now that both parameters have been defined, they can be applied to the steps in the flow.   Add the source table to the flow   a. Click Library Connections in the navigation pane.   b. Expand SASHELP.   c. Right-click the CARS table and select Add to flow.   Library Connections is open and the SASHELP.CARS table is available to drag into the flow.     Add and configure the Query step   a. Right-click the CARS Table node and select Add a query to connect a Query node to the CARS table.   Flow canvas showing right-click mouse menu to Add a Query to the CARS table.     b. Use the Query node details and drag the t1(CARS) table from the Columns pane to the Columns tab within the Select tab to add all columns to the output table.   The Query node details show the populated Columns tab within the Select tab.     c. Select the Filter tab and expand the t1(CARS) table in the Columns pane.   d. Drag the Origin column to the Filter tab canvas.   Adding the Origin column to the Filter tab in the Query node details.     e. Use the Condition drop-down menu to select Equal to.   f. Select Use a quick filter to select a value to add a filter value.   The Use a quick filter to select a value icon highlighted in the Filter tab.     g. Use the Value drop-down menu to choose Select a parameter.   Select a parameter highlighted in the Add Filter window.     h. In the Select a Parameter window, select Origin.   i. Click OK.   Select a Parameter window enabling selection of the parameters.     j. Click Filter and notice that a parameter icon appears above the Query node in the canvas, indicating that parameters have been successfully applied to the node.   Filter tab showing Origin parameter assigned to the Filter Value.     Connect a SAS Program Snippet to the Output port of the Query node.   a. Click Snippets in the navigation pane and expand Standard and Data.   b. Drag Generate CSV File onto the output port of the Query node to connect it.   Canvas showing Generate CSV File snippet being connected to Query output port.     Update the output directory path to a location available in your environment.   a. In the Code tab of the SAS Program node details, highlight <location on file system to put the CSV file>.   b. Click SAS Server in the Navigation pane and expand SAS Server.   c. Right-click Files and select Insert as path. If this option is not available in your environment, choose an alternative writable directory.   Insert as path feature for adding path to a code node.     The filename can also be made dynamic using macro variables.   a. After the /, add &Origin.GT&MSRP..csv. The & tells SAS to substitute the parameter values at runtime, and the single period(.) ends the macro variable name and the double period (..) ends the macro variable name while preserving the .csv file extension.   SAS Code showing &Origin.GT&MSRP..csv. used as the file name.     Continuing to make the flow dynamic, a macro variable can be assigned to the input table name so that the SAS Program references the incoming dataset without hardcoding it.   a. In the Node tab of the SAS Program node details, click Ports and variables.   b. In the Input Ports and Macro Variables tab, copy _input1, the macro variable that will store the name of the input table for the step.   SAS Program node details showing Ports and variables section in Node tab.     c. Return to the Code tab in the SAS Program node details and replace the hardcoded table name SASHELP.CARS with the contents of the buffer, _input1.   d. Prefix _input1 with an ampersand (&_input1) to indicate that it’s a macro variable, allowing SAS to resolve it dynamically at runtime.   Code tab in the SAS Program node showing macro variable &_input1 used for SAS input table name.     Apply a filter to the output table in the PROC EXPORT step   a. After &_input1 , add (where=(MSRP>&MSRP)) to filter the data so only records with an MSRP greater than the selected parameter value are exported.   Code tab in the SAS Program node details showing WHERE=option.     Connect the MSRP parameter to the SAS Program node.   a. In the Node tab of the SAS Program node details, select the Parameters section.   b. Click Add.   Add button highlighted in the Parameter section of the Node tab in the SAS Program node details.     c. In the parameter list, click MSRP.   d. Click OK and notice that a parameter icon appears above the SAS Program node in the canvas, indicating that parameters have been successfully applied to the node.   Select a Parameter window with MSRP selected.     Run the flow with the default parameter values.   a. Click Run on the flow toolbar.   b. Confirm the Parameters dialog box appears and has the default values of Origin as Europe and MSRP as 50,000.   c. Click OK.   At run time, SAS Studio prompts for both Origin and MSRP.     d. View the log and confirm the CSV contains only records for the selected Origin and MSRP threshold.   Shows EuropeGR50000.csv with 39 rows.     Re-run the flow and use the Origin drop-down menu to select Asia.   a. Click the Origin drop-down menu and choose Asia.   b. Click OK.   The recording also shows the prompt values changed before clicking OK.     c. View the log and confirm the CSV contains only records for the selected Origin and MSRP threshold.   Shows AsiaGR50000.csv with 7 rows     This flow demonstrates how dynamic prompts can be used to create flexible and reusable processes in SAS Studio.   The flow consists of three main components:   CARS Table – The source dataset containing car attributes such as Origin and MSRP. Query Step – Filters the data using the Origin parameter, a dynamic drop-down list for selecting the manufacturing region. SAS Program Step – Uses the MSRP parameter, a numeric input, to filter data further within SAS code.   By combining these components, the flow highlights how parameters enhance interactivity and reusability, allowing users to run the same flow with different inputs without modifying the code.     Best Practices for Using Parameters   To maintain clear and effective flows:   Use clear, user-friendly labels Provide sensible default values Apply validation where possible Limit the number of parameters to avoid unnecessary complexity Document the purpose of each parameter     Final Thoughts   Using parameters in SAS Studio transforms static flows into dynamic, reusable flows. Rather than repeatedly modifying code, you can:   Define parameters once Reference them within your logic Adjust values at runtime   This approach improves efficiency, reduces the risk of errors, and supports the development of more robust processes.   As SAS Studio continues to evolve, this functionality is expected to expand, with parameters being supported across more steps and additional parameter types becoming available.     Acknowledgments Special thanks to the SAS Studio Product Manager, @Alexey_Vodilin ,  and Stacey Syphus for editing, contributions, and valuable suggestions for improving this article. Special thanks also to the whole SAS Studio Product team for developing and delivering this feature.     If you are interested in learning more about SAS Studio, please visit the SAS Studio Landing page and the SAS Studio Learning Subscription.      Find more articles from SAS Global Enablement and Learning here. ... View more

When working with external data—such as delimited text files or Excel spreadsheets—the first step in SAS Studio is to convert that data into a SAS table that can be queried, transformed, or analyzed. The 2025.06 SAS Viya stable release of SAS Studio streamlines and standardizes this process, particularly for those who may prefer using the point-and-click interface over coding.   Whether you are building a flow or working in a workspace tab, you can now upload and import files from your desktop in a single step,  and edit Excel metadata such as column names and data types during import. These enhancements make the import process more intuitive and efficient, especially for non-programmers.   This article demonstrates these updates using the home_equity file available from the  Example Data Sets for the SAS® Viya® Platform website. First, we convert the file to an Excel spreadsheet and import it using an Import step in a flow, showcasing the new Excel metadata-editing capabilities. Then, we import the downloaded CSV file using the standalone Import File facility.     Method 1: Importing in a Flow   A SAS Studio flow provides a visual sequence of data operations, from preparation to analysis and reporting, with each task represented as a step. Flows are typically used when a process needs to be repeatable and/or automatic. The IMPORT step is used, in a flow, to load delimited, Excel, fixed-width, and other text files and converts them into SAS tables.   Screen Recording Instructions This video demonstrates how to use an IMPORT step within a SAS Studio flow to upload and import data from an excel spreadsheet.     Step-by-Step Instructions   1. Create a new flow   From the SAS Studio Start page, select Build a flow.       2. Add an Import File step   In the navigation pane, click Steps, expand Data (Input and Output) and drag the Import File onto the flow canvas.       With the Import File node selected, the properties appear in the bottom pane, displaying the Options, Preview and Modify Data, Node, and Notes tabs, along with a message indicating that you can drag a file into the window or use the provided buttons.        3. Upload the Excel file into SAS Server.   In the Import File Options tab, click Import local file.       In the Upload File window: Choose the folder to upload to, preferably in the SAS Server section. The SAS Server pane provides direct access to the server’s file system, allowing you to view, upload, and download files—making it the preferred location for storing data used in SAS programs/flows. SAS Content is a storage area for SAS applications to manage shared assets such as reports, models, and jobs.     Click Add file, browse to and select home_equity.xlsx on your computer. Click Open. Click Upload.     The Options tab in the Import File properties shows that sheet 1 of the home_equity.xls file is selected, the First row contains column names is checked and you can optionally set Limit the range of rows and columns if necessary. These options can be easily modified.     4. Analyze the File Structure and Adjust Columns.    Click Analyze to examine the structure of the external file and define the columns based on the confirmed settings.     Click the Preview and Modify Data tab in the Import File properties.     You’ll see a sample of the data (e.g. home_equity) with columns like BAD, LOAN, MORTDUE, VALUE, REASON, JOB, YOJ, DEROG, …, APPDATE. The values of LOAN and MORTDUE, should contain dollar signs and the APPDATE value should be imported as a date. At the moment it's a numeric value, displaying the number of days from the 1st January 1960, to the specific date.     Click View and edit the column structure. Here you can edit the metadata of the files, including changing the type, length and format of the data.     For the column LOAN, click Browse in the Format field to change the format. Expand Currency. Choose a currency format such as DOLLAR. Adjust Overall width to 12.     Click OK. Repeat for the MORTDUE and VALUE columns. Once completed, you’ll see DOLLAR12. appear in the Format column for those fields. For the APPDATE column, click Browse in the Format field to change the format. Expand Date. Select DATE (or your desired date format). Set Overall width to 9 Click OK.   APPDATE’s Format column should now show DATE9.     At the top of the preview grid, click Update to apply the updated changes to the Import File step. This updates the temporary view of the data if you would like to check your modifications are appropriate.     5. Add and name the output table   Return to the flow and right-click the output port of the Import File step. Select Add a table.     Name the new table HE_XLSX and save it in the WORK library.     6. Run the flow and inspect the output table   On the flow toolbar, click Run.     Check the log and confirm the flow completed successfully. View the output table and verify that the data has been correctly imported: Currency columns display with dollar signs/commas. APPDATE displays as dates (like 05MAY2020). Character fields like CITY and STATE look correct.     7. Save the flow.   The flow can now be saved and submitted regularly if required.     Method 2: Create a Standalone Import File   Using an import step within a flow is beneficial when a file is expected to be updated regularly and the import needs to run consistently as part of an automated, repeatable process. A standalone import is suitable when you simply need to bring a file into SAS Studio for immediate review, exploration, or one-time analysis, without integrating it into a broader flow.     Screen Recording Instructions This video demonstrates how to use the standalone IMPORT facility to upload and import data from a csv file.     Step-by-Step Instructions  1. Create a new Import File tab.   From the SAS Studio Start page, select Import a File. The standalone import has been opened on a new tab.     2. Upload the csv file into SAS Server.   With the standalone Import tab open, the options to Import local file and Import file from server are available. Click Import local file.       In the Upload File window: Choose the folder to upload to (e.g. /Home or /Data). Click Add file, browse to and select csv on your computer. Click Open. Click Upload.     3. Name the output file   Rename the table name HE_csv.     4. Review and modify the default options   Click View to view the raw data file.     This is a comma separated file, with column names in the first row. Monetary values and dates should be considered when importing the raw data.     Expand the Input section of the Options tab and confirm the file is a comma delimited file and that the first row contains column names. Other options include selecting all or a subset of rows and setting how many rows SAS scans to detect the type and length of the column. Change the Scan rows for analysis setting to 6,000. The default of 20 is very efficient for processing but increases the risk of truncating character data, while larger values provide greater accuracy but are slower to determine column properties. I’m going for 6,000 to balance accuracy and performance.     Click More import options to view additional settings for customizing your import, like how to handle missing values, consecutive delimiters, renaming columns and setting encoding. Click Cancel.     5. Analyze the File Structure and Adjust Columns.    Click Analyze to examine the structure of the external file and define the columns based on the confirmed settings.     Click the Preview and Modify Data tab.     You’ll see a sample of the data (e.g. home_equity) with columns like BAD, LOAN, MORTDUE, VALUE, REASON, JOB, YOJ, DEROG, …, APPDATE. The values of LOAN and MORTDUE, should contain dollar signs and the APPDATE value should be imported as a date.     Click (View and edit the column structure). Here you can edit the metadata of the files, including changing the type, length and format of the data.     For the column LOAN, click Browse in the Format field to change the format.   Expand Currency. Choose a currency format such as DOLLAR. (or the one shown in your standards). Adjust Overall width to 12. Click OK.   You’ll see DOLLAR10. appear in the Format column for those fields.   Repeat for the MORTDUE and VALUE columns. For the APPDATE column, click Browse in the Format field to change the format. Expand Date. Select (or your desired date format). Set Overall width to 9 Click OK.   APPDATE’s Format column should now show DATE9.     At the top of the preview grid, click Update to apply the updated changes to the Import File step.     This updates the temporary view of the data if you would like to check your modifications are appropriate.     6. Run the standalone tab and inspect the output table   On the toolbar, click Run.     Check the log and confirm the import completed successfully.     View the output table and verify that the data has been correctly imported: Currency columns display with dollar signs/commas. APPDATE displays as dates (like 05MAY2020). Character fields like CITY and STATE look correct.     7. Save the Import File.   The Import can be saved and submitted again if needed.     Summary Importing external data into SAS Studio is now more intuitive and flexible than ever, thanks to the enhancements introduced in the 2025.06 SAS Viya release. Whether you choose to import data within a flow or use the standalone Import File facility, both methods provide a streamlined, point-and-click experience that supports uploading files, analyzing structure, and customizing column metadata—all without writing any code.   These improvements make it easier to ensure clean, accurate SAS tables regardless of whether your source is Excel or CSV. Combined with other data preparation steps available in SAS Studio, the enhanced import tools reduce complexity and increase confidence for low-code users. The result is a more accessible and efficient environment for preparing data and getting to insights faster.     Apply What You’ve Learnt Now it’s your turn to try it out. Open SAS Studio and explore both import methods using your own data or the home_equity example. Experiment with Preview and Modify Data to adjust formats, and see how these enhancements can simplify your workflow and accelerate your path to insights.   Remember these essentials from the improved SAS Studio import experience:   You can now upload files and edit metadata in one streamlined step. Flows are ideal for automated, repeatable imports. The standalone Import File is perfect for quick, one-off analysis. Metadata controls—like formats, types, and row scanning—help ensure clean, accurate SAS tables every time.   If this guide helped you, share it with colleagues or explore more SAS Studio features to continue building your low-code analytics toolkit.     Find more articles from SAS Global Enablement and Learning here. ... View more

In this post, part of my From Zero to Clarity series for low-code users, we’ll break down two core processing engines in SAS Viya: SAS Compute and SAS Cloud Analytics Services (CAS). You’ll learn what they are, why both exist, and when to use each one so you can confidently make the most of your SAS Viya environment.   What Are SAS Compute and SAS Cloud Analytic Services?   First, let’s define each engine.     Select any image to see a larger version. Mobile users: To view the images, select the "Full" version at the bottom of the page.   The SAS Compute server is the default engine and executes traditional SAS code. Data is processed row-by-row on a single machine, typically in a single-threaded or lightly multi-threaded fashion.   In contrast the SAS Cloud Analytic Services server, or CAS, is a distributed, in-memory, massively parallel processing engine. CAS is designed for large data volumes, advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. It processes data in parallel across multiple nodes simultaneously, making it ideal for workloads that require heavy computation or repeated access to large datasets.   CAS also allows data to be shared in-memory across multiple sessions, users and even different SAS Viya applications, avoiding repeated reads from disk and enabling collaborative, real-time analysis at scale.      Why Do We Have Both?   So, why does SAS Viya offer both SAS Compute and CAS servers?       The SAS Compute server exists because many workloads simply don’t require distributed processing. It starts quickly, has minimal overhead, and works well for routine tasks, data preparation, and smaller data sets. For many users, the SAS Compute server delivers fast results without the need for any complex infrastructure.   CAS, on the other hand, is built for scalability. When you’re working with big data — typically 50 gigabytes or more — or running complex models, simulations, or machine learning pipelines, CAS provides the power to handle these resource-intensive jobs efficiently.   Having both engines allows the SAS Viya platform to handle a wide range of processing needs — from simple to highly complex — and ensures that users always have the right tool available. Best of all, SAS Viya manages these engines behind the scenes, so you don’t have to worry about switching manually.     When Should You Use Each?    Let’s talk about when you should use each engine.     Use the SAS Compute server when: You’re working with smaller or moderate-sized data. Your programs run quickly and don’t require heavy computation. You’re generating one-off reports, simple queries, or routine data preparation tasks.   Use CAS when: You’re working with large data volumes. Your code requires multiple passes over the same data. You’re running advanced analytics, machine learning, or complex iterative processes. You need to leverage cloud-native storage. Multiple users, applications or processes need to work from the same in-memory data without duplicating or reloading it.      Summary: The Hybrid Power of the SAS Viya Platform   In summary, the SAS Compute and CAS servers each serve a purpose. SAS Compute gives you speed and simplicity for small to mid-sized tasks, while CAS gives you scalability and power for large, complex analytics.   The real power of the SAS Viya platform is that you don’t have to choose manually. SAS Viya manages the handoff seamlessly — running your code on the most appropriate engine based on your data and/or what you submit. This hybrid approach gives you flexibility, performance, and simplicity, no matter how your workload evolves.     Closing   Understanding the what, why, and when of the SAS Compute and CAS servers helps you design better processes, optimize performance, and get the most from the SAS Viya platform. Review this excellent post Simplifying SAS Viya Part 1: Choose Your Server for a deeper, more technical comparison — including how these servers differ from the traditional SAS 9 server. Which server will you use next?      Find more articles from SAS Global Enablement and Learning here. ... View more

SAS Studio just got a major upgrade—and it’s more than just a facelift. The June 2025.06 stable release introduces a brand-new user interface built on a modern framework, offering a noticeably faster, smoother, and more responsive experience. Whether you build flows, write code, design custom steps, or manage data pipelines, this update delivers meaningful improvements that enhance productivity and usability across the board.      A Faster, More Efficient User Experience   At the heart of the update is a redesigned interface that not only looks and feels more modern but also performs better. Loading times are faster, interactions are more responsive, and everything feels more intuitive. Importantly, all of your existing content—flows, programs, custom steps—continues to work seamlessly in the new interface, with no migration needed.   This image showcases a selection of the enhancements, with more details to follow.   Select any image to see a larger version. Mobile users: To view the images, select the "Full" version at the bottom of the page.     New Features That Work Smarter   This release brings a host of functional enhancements, including:   Faster SAS and Python code editing, complete with new syntax suggestions and improved help menus.     An upgraded Table Viewer with infinite scrolling, column auto-sizing, formatted and unformatted data display, and persistent filters across sessions.     A more consistent import experience, including the ability to import data directly from your desktop and edit metadata for Excel files.     Revamped flow features, such as curved arrows, a cleaner Details pane, and drag-and-drop improvements.     Enhanced flow and step interactions, featuring code generation via the toolbar, flexible organization of steps and steps that can be reused outside of flows.     Improved libraries pane with enhanced Connection Manager, simplifying how you manage and view library connections.     Enhanced flexibility for Job management and deployment, including visual job creation using the visual designer tab, support for JSON prompts and streamlined access to authorized jobs in the Submission and job status tab.       Plus, the Start page now provides quicker access to create Python programs and explore SAS Studio resources on sas.com.     Looking Ahead   While this release does not include some legacy features—like the interactive perspective and the Console pane—most of their core functionality has been carried forward or will return in future updates. In fact, even more enhancements are just around the corner, including the return of the DATA Step Debugger, search bar improvements, and undo/redo for flows.     Final Thoughts   The 2025.06 update to SAS Studio is more than an interface refresh—it’s a thoughtful, forward-looking redesign that brings tangible improvements across the entire user experience. Whether you’re a developer, data scientist, or business analyst, you’ll find new tools that make your work faster, easier, and more insightful.   To explore What Makes the New SAS Studio a Game-Changer, join @Alexey_Vodilin , the SAS Studio Product Manager, for an Ask the Expert webinar. Register here.   Keep up to date with all new features by reviewing the What’s New in SAS Studio documentation each month.   Which feature are you most interested in exploring?      Find more articles from SAS Global Enablement and Learning here. ... View more

Watch this Ask the Expert session to learn the multiple pathway options when transitioning from SAS Enterprise Guide to SAS Viya. Plus, get a comparison of SAS Enterprise Guide and SAS Studio features.    Watch the webinar     You will learn: What options are available to a SAS Enterprise Guide user transitioning to SAS Viya. How SAS Enterprise Guide compares to SAS Studio. About additional benefits gained with SAS Viya.   The questions from the Q&A segment held at the end of the webinar are listed below and the slides from the webinar are attached.   Q&A In SAS Enterprise Guide I can use keyboard shortcuts for most commonly used code, but in SAS Studio I can't. Why? Since SAS Studio runs in a web browser, some keyboard shortcuts are controlled by the browser and cannot be redefined in the application. Please see the Keyboard Shortcut SAS Help page for information on managing keyboard shortcuts.   In the SAS Enterprise Guide version shown here, are all these different tools (e.g., Git repositories, tasks, etc.) only available with SAS Viya, or is it also available with SAS 9? Git integration is available to both, Tasks are used in SAS Enterprise Guide process flows whilst steps are used in SAS Studio Flows. Here is a general feature comparison of the various versions of SAS Enterprise Guide and SAS Studio.   Is it possible to transform stored processes from SAS 9.4 to SAS Viya / SAS Studio including the prompts? What happens with Stored Process in Viya? The answer is yes! SAS 9.4 Stored Process are migrated to SAS Viya Jobs in SAS Viya 4. For more information see the following post Migration of Stored Processes to SAS Viya Jobs.   Is there a specific version of SAS Enterprise Guide that is required to run across 9.4, Viya, and Workbench?  And are there limitations to using each of these with EG, assuming there was a use case that required this (for instance, could you have a flow running across all of these in the same EG session)? SAS Enterprise Guide 8.4, released in April last year, and introduced the new capability to integrate with SAS Viya 4 servers, enabling you to use both SAS 9 and SAS Viya 4 in the same process flow. For more information, please see this SAS® Enterprise Guide® Is Now Integrated With SAS® Viya® 4 Q&A, Slides, and On-Demand Recording post.   The upcoming June release of SAS 9.4M9 will include SAS Enterprise Guide 8.6- which introduces integration with SAS Viya Workbench. This enhancement enables you to build process flows that use SAS 9, SAS Viya 4 and SAS Viya Workbench servers. If you already have SAS Enterprise Guide, you can upgrade to version 8.6 via the Help -> Check for Updates menu, once it’s available.   Can you run two jobs in parallel using SAS Studio on Viya? Yes, you can submit multiple flows or programs in the background with SAS Studio. You can also create a SAS Viya job definition from a SAS Studio flow or SAS program and schedule it is using conditional logic, if needed. SAS Environment Manager can also be used to schedule these jobs to be run in parallel.   Python is an option on SAS Viya 4. What are the plans for R? What about these 2 analytical tools in SAS Viya Workbench? Can I build a custom node with R or Python running inside? Proc Python is available in SAS Viya 4 and can be used when building SAS Studio custom steps-a user-defined point-and-click interface to execute code. Support for a similar procedure for running R code, is under consideration.   For examples of existing custom steps that include Python code, please review the SAS Studio Custom Step repository. If you are a programmer in R, you may find this blog interesting!  Experience of an R Programmer Using the R Runner Custom Step in SAS Studio Flows. Follow @ShelbyTaylor for an upcoming post on Getting Started with R in SAS Viya Workbench.   During a migration, will the projects developed in SAS Enterprise Guide be carried over? How much effort is involved? We have a strong and robust migration path in place for importing SAS Enterprise Guide projects and creating SAS Studio flows with a range of tools available depending on the volume and complexity of the projects. Go with the flow; migrating Enterprise Guide Projects to SAS Studio Flows SAS 9 Content Assessment. Seamlessly Transition: Resources for SAS® Enterprise Guide Users moving to SAS® Viya from SAS®9   I have Viya 3.5 and I do not have "Flow", what am I missing on my environment? SAS Studio flows are not available in SAS Viya 3.5; SAS Viya 4 is required to access this functionality. See the general feature comparison (SAS Studio 5.2 is used in SAS Viya 3.5).   How do we make sure we have same setting of SAS STAT version from EG to Viya? The SAS/STAT procedures in SAS Viya work the same as they do in SAS 9, although in the newest versions of SAS Viya there may be some enhancements and fixes.   Are the steps available in Studio dependent on the type of Studio license, or are the steps shown available in SAS Studio with any Viya licence? The SAS Studio license determines the steps available in SAS Studio. For more information see Summary of Flow Functionality.   Can EG projects be imported into SAS Studio for Viya 4? Yes, we have a strong and robust migration path in place for importing SAS Enterprise Guide projects and creating SAS Studio flows with a range of tools available depending on the volume and complexity of the projects. Go with the flow; migrating Enterprise Guide Projects to SAS Studio Flows SAS 9 Content Assessment. Seamlessly Transition: Resources for SAS® Enterprise Guide Users moving to SAS® Viya from SAS®9   How is the migration/integration of the already created and validated Stored Process which we use in the Enterprise Guide into Viya? See SAS 9.4 Stored Process are migrated to SAS Viya Jobs in SAS Viya 4. For more information see this post Migration of Stored Processes to SAS Viya Jobs.   Is SAS Viya and SAS Studio the same? No, they are not the same. SAS Viya is a cloud-native, end-to-end data and AI platform that makes development easier and boosts productivity with tools that are friendly for everyone on your team. SAS Studio is a web application that allows you to build efficient data pipelines that run on SAS Viya with a world-class data engineering experience.     Recommended Resources SAS Viya Workbench Webinar SAS® Enterprise Guide® Is Now Integrated With SAS® Viya® 4 Please see additional resources in the attached slide deck.   Want more tips? Be sure to subscribe to the Ask the Expert board to receive follow up Q&A, slides and recordings from other SAS Ask the Expert webinars.   ... View more

There's now an even easier way to find the content that you need.   A wide range of valuable resources are available for SAS Studio users, including the recently redesigned SAS Studio Product Page and the SAS Video Portal- built to help you quickly locate what's most relevant to you, right now!   In a previous post, I shared some guidance on identifying your software release. To help you focus on what's most relevant to your release we've reorganised, and added to, the SAS Studio How To Tutorials Videos library.   Select any image to see a larger version. Mobile users: To view the images, select the "Full" version at the bottom of the page.   Use the navigation pane on the left and expand the How To Tutorials section. The SAS Studio How To Tutorials are grouped by software release and topic. Whether you are looking to get started using SAS Studio on SAS 9-  the foundation for SAS On-Demand for Academics...     ...or diving deeper into topics like data management and statistical analyses using SAS Studio on SAS Viya.     We're also continuing to expand the library with fresh content covering new features and step-by-step demonstrations. So whether you are revisiting a trusted tutorial or exploring something new, you'll find it faster in the new structure.   Explore the updated How To Tutorials library today and let us know what else you'd like to see!      Find more articles from SAS Global Enablement and Learning here. ... View more

When integrating SAS Enterprise Guide with SAS Viya, projects originally created in SAS9 may require modifications to individual nodes or the entire project to ensure a smooth transition. This article, outlines the use of the Migration Wizard to update multiple SAS Enterprise Guide projects to run on SAS Viya.   Wilbram introduced the integration of SAS Enterprise Guide with SAS Viya in this article, providing a comprehensive guide to establishing a connection with the SAS Viya Compute Server. This article also offers detailed guidance on updating tasks in existing SAS Enterprise Guide projects, including modifying individual tasks and using the built-in Project Maintenance Tool to update servers and libraries. The Migration Wizard provides similar functionality as the Project Maintenance Tool but for multiple projects and supports updating older SAS Enterprise Guide files to newer versions as well as updating the location of raw data files.   Using the Project Maintenance Wizard This video demonstrates updating individual tasks in a project, using the Project Maintenance Wizard to update all tasks in a project.      Using the Migration Wizard The Project Maintenance tool updates a single project while the SAS Enterprise Guide Migration Wizard offers similar functionality but for multiple projects. Also possible is the migration of older SAS Enterprise Guide files to later versions and changing the location of raw data files.   The MigrationWizard.exe can be found in the installation directory of SAS Enterprise Guide. From the desktop, right-click the SAS Enterprise Guide shortcut icon, select Open File Location and locate the exe file. If Open File Location is not available, select Properties first. Select any image to see a larger version. Mobile users: To view the images, select the "Full" version at the bottom of the page.   Double-click the exe to run the wizard. The first step of six provides essential information about the migration wizard including necessary prerequisite actions to prevent potential metadata issues. I have already moved all relevant resources to the new location and closed all Microsoft Office applications and SAS Enterprise Guide.   Click Next to proceed. The wizard automatically detects the current active SAS connection. If the connection is correct, click Next to continue.     Step 3 of 6 enables you to select the SAS Enterprise Guide projects to be migrated. Expand Local Computer > D:️ > workshop > VS to locate the project files. Select the check boxes for the following projects Car Door Reporting, Embedded Code and Simple DoorData. Click the arrow button between the two panels to confirm the selection of the files.     Click Next to proceed. Step 4 of 6 provides details on parsing the selected files, which begins when you click Next. This step may take a while, depending on the complexity of the files but don’t worry, no changes are made until the migration is finalized.     Click Next to start parsing    Click Done to return to the Migration Wizard. Step 5 of 6 focuses on remapping object references. The wizard displays a table of object references and their current locations. Expand the window or adjust column widths for better visibility. Use the Show menu drop-down to filter references (Global, Item-specific, or All) that require updates. More complex projects could contain many more references.     Let’s start with mapping the SASApp server to the SAS Viya Compute. Select the SASApp server object and in the New Mapping column, click Select SAS Execution Server. Click Browse, expand Servers and select the SAS Viya Compute. Upon initial connection, you will be prompted to provide an authorization code based on your user credentials.  In the browser tab, confirm the credentials have been entered and click Sign In. If the SAS Viya environment is configured for Single Sign-On (SSO) no credentials prompt will appear. Admin access is not required so click Authorize Access to generate an authorization code. Copy the authorization code and return to the Migration Wizard and paste the code into the Authenticate with SAS Viya pop-up window.  Click OK. Confirm that the Apply the changes to all object references that contains this value check box is selected.  Click OK to return to the migration wizard. All instances of SASApp are now mapped to the SAS Viya Compute server, but the changes will not be applied until all the steps in the wizard are completed.   Select the File Reference object and in the New Mapping column, click Select External File. Select Servers, SAS Viya Compute and if necessary, authenticate with SAS Viya as per the previous instructions. Select Files (/) > workshop > VS_Data and select SoldCars.csv.  Click Next to continue. In the final step of the wizard, reference mappings can be saved to a Migration Record File. This file can then be used to apply the same mappings to future project migrations, saving you time and minimizing the risk of manual errors. If you do not specify the file location a file is not generated.     A log file is automatically created and should be checked carefully as it contains a list of all the files that were processed as well as any errors that occurred during migration.     Leave the check box clear for Do not create automatic backups of original files so that the original files are backed up to a folder called MigrationBackup before being overwritten.     Select the check box to Perform resource verification to check for the existence of all resources that have been changed to confirm the existence of the updated resources, log their status and apply the changes accordingly.     Click Finish. Once the migration process has complete, click View Log File and check everything behaved as expected.     All the files migrated successfully. If the wizard failed to update any of the projects, identify the cause, then use the backup projects to run the migration wizard again.     Projects should always be executed and verified to ensure the migration is complete. For example, as the migration wizard cannot view embedded code additional adjustments may be required. Open SAS Enterprise Guide. Use the application toolbar and select File and Open. Select My Computer, click Browse and navigate to Data (D:), workshop, VS. Select Embedded Code and click Open. Use the toolbar in the process flow and click Run. Use the Submission Status pane to verify that the tasks are now successfully executed on the SAS Viya Server.   Conclusion   We have seen that there are multiple methods of updating existing SAS Enterprise Guide projects to execute on the SAS Viya Server, depending on your requirements. For individual projects, tasks can be updated individually or by using the Project Maintenance tool. For multiple projects or those containing raw data files, the Migration Wizard is recommended.   Do you have a preference?   Additional Resources   Using SAS Enterprise Guide with SAS Viya 4 SAS Viya Release Highlights SAS Enterprise Guide Migration Wizard Migration Wizard User’s Guide     Find more articles from SAS Global Enablement and Learning here. ... View more

As a SAS Enterprise Guide user, transitioning to SAS Viya from SAS9 opens up a world of advanced capabilities, enhanced performance, and modern analytics. This move is more than just an upgrade; it’s an opportunity to leverage the full power of cloud-based solutions, improved collaboration, and cutting-edge machine-learning tools.   Introduction   When moving to SAS Viya from SAS®9, it’s advisable to review your working methodology to fully leverage the advanced capabilities and scalability that SAS Viya offers. Select any image to see a larger version. Mobile users: To view the images, select the "Full" version at the bottom of the page.   Modernization involves aligning existing functionalities to new ones and selecting the most appropriate tools and applications for the job! This process may also involve migration which refers to transferring contents from one location to another. During modernization, you may opt for a full migration or partial migration, allowing flexibility to rebuild or optimize the remaining content using more suitable or advanced applications.   Transitioning refers to the process of changing from one state or situation to another. The scope and complexity of this process depends on the migration and modernization strategies employed, with the ultimate goal being a seamless and successful shift to the new system or platform.   Migration, Modernization, and Transitioning Options for SAS Enterprise Guide Projects   A range of options are available when migrating, modernizing and transitioning SAS Enterprise Guide projects.   Integration. SAS Enterprise Guide 8.4 integrates seamlessly with SAS Viya 4, allowing existing SAS Enterprise Guide projects to run on a SAS Viya 4 server while leveraging enhanced features such as like Python integration and advanced analytics capabilities.   Exporting code. Code created in a SAS Enterprise Guide project can be exported and transitioned, if necessary, to execute in SAS Studio.   Importing a SAS Enterprise Guide project. To preserve the visual flow diagram from your SAS Enterprise Guide project, import it using SAS Environment Manager to create SAS Studio Flow files, an intuitive point-and-click tool that visualizes data pipelines in SAS Studio. These flows may also need to be transitioned.   Importing multiple SAS Enterprise Guide projects. If you require multiple SAS Enterprise Guide projects to be transitioned in bulk, please reach out to your SAS administrator.  They have access to advanced tools like the SAS 9 Content Assessment tool, designed for understanding, preparing and importing SAS 9.4 content. This is often used with the SAS Viya Command Line Interface for bulk migration and modernization along with many other administrative tasks.   After importing the SAS Enterprise Guide projects as SAS Studio Flows, ensure they are functioning correctly.  Examine and transition which SAS Enterprise Guide tasks have been imported to SAS Studio steps, which SAS Enterprise Guide tasks have been imported as SAS Program steps, the process of importing SAS Program tasks to SAS Program Steps and  how notes are migrated.   Resources Available   If you haven’t already, you may find it beneficial to explore the following resources tailored for SAS Viya users.     The Transitioning SAS Enterprise Guide Projects to SAS Studio Flows course equips experienced SAS Enterprise Guide users with the knowledge to integrate and/or modernize and transition their single projects to SAS Studio flows.   If you are looking to understand the tools and processes available to migrate existing SAS 9.4 content to the latest release of the SAS Viya platform, please see the Migrating SAS 9.4 Content to the SAS Viya Platform course. This also includes migrating data and importing bulk SAS Enterprise Guide projects.   Other beneficial courses include the Managing and Querying Data Using Flows in SAS Studio course. This course is designed for users with low code or no code experience who need to efficiently manage and query data using steps in flows in SAS Studio.   The Developing Custom Steps with SAS Studio Analyst course is aimed at SAS programmers who want to build re-usable user interfaces for dynamic customization of SAS code. A custom step can be used in a flow, or stand-alone, and provides a user interface to common tasks that are routinely performed by you or others at your site.   The final course, SAS Visual Analytics 1 for SAS Viya: Basics introduces data preparation, data discovery, and report creation in SAS Visual Analytics, the reporting application for SAS Viya.   A complimentary SAS Viya Overview course is also available providing a comprehensive overview of the platform including its tools and features.   Closing   Whether you're seeking to maintain familiarity with the SAS environment or explore new possibilities in data science and analytics, SAS Viya offers a seamless and powerful platform to drive your analytics journey forward.   Which is your favourite resource?   Other Available Resources   Using SAS Enterprise Guide with SAS Viya 4 SAS® Enterprise Guide® Is Now Integrated With SAS® Viya® 4 Q&A, Slides, and On-Demand Recording Using SAS Studio Flows and Custom Steps in SAS® Viya® Fast Track Using SAS® Studio Engineer Steps in SAS® Studio Flows     Find more articles from SAS Global Enablement and Learning here. ... 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There are numerous methods of sorting tables in SAS Studio, including using a ‘good old’ PROC SORT! During this post, we explore the importance of sorting SAS tables and evaluate each method, focusing on the point-and-click techniques in.   Sorting Data   Sorting data can be a helpful or necessary step in exploring your data. Some data processing steps need sorted input data. Other benefits of sorting include being able to visually examine the high or low values and even identifying and removing duplicate rows.       When sorting data, you can specify which columns to sort by.       For example, by adding Subject as the primary column, this data table will be sorted in ascending values of Subject (so, in alphabetical order, A to Z). Notice that the original order has been honored by default.   When adding multiple columns, SAS sorts the primary column first and then the secondary column within the primary column. In this example, Subject is sorted in ascending order and then TestScore is sorted in ascending order, within the Subject values.   You can specify the order of the rows to view large to small values by using the descending option.     For example, these rows are primarily sorted by Subject in ascending order and then, within the subject, by descending values of TestScore.   When sorting, the default behavior is to keep all records (rows), including duplicates.     Notice that we have a duplicate value for Name and for Subject in the first two rows and duplicate Name, Subject, and TestScore values in the last two rows.   If the direction is to remove duplicate rows, all values for a row are compared to the previous row written to the output table. If an exact match is found, the row is removed. In this example, Louise with a French test result of 92 is removed, because it’s a duplicate row.   If the instruction is to remove rows with duplicate values in the sort column, duplicates are removed based on the values of the columns on which the output is sorted. In this example, the second row of Bobby with a French result has been removed and the second row of Louise with a French result has been removed.   Techniques for Sorting Data With multiple methods available, each sorting technique serves a specific initial purpose based on the requirements.     1.      Query Step The Query step is an extremely versatile tool for data manipulation. You can select, sort, and create new columns, join tables, summarise data and filter both input or summarised data.   The CLASS_TESTDUP data contains seven rows, the following GIF demonstrates how to sort the table by Subject and TestScore (in descending order) using a Query step.     The Query step can also be used to deduplicate rows- that is- where all variable values match. This is achieved, as per the following GIF, by selecting (More Options) in the Columns pane of the Query node options and click Select distinct rows only.       2.      Sort Step The Sort step enables you to order your data by the values of one or more columns. In the following GIF, we sort the data by Subject and Name (both ascending by default). The output shows that rows 1 and 2 (Name of Barbara) and 4 and 5  (name Louise) have duplicate values for the columns designated in the Sort tab, specifically Subject and Name.     We can deduplicate the information above, using the Options button in the Sort Node details. Here, I have chosen to Maintain the relative order (this ensures that if multiple rows are detected, they are in the same order in the output table as the input table), and to Remove rows with duplicate values in sort columns. Two rows have been removed, row number 2 and row number 5.     Other sorting scenarios can be accomplished by investigating the different combinations of the options available by clicking  under the Options tab of the Sort step.   Option Reference Specify the output order   Session default 1   (usually SORTEQUALS)   A system option that specifies that rows with identical values in the sorted columns are to retain the same relative positions in the output data set as in the input data set. Maintain relative order   (EQUALS)     A step option that specifies that rows with identical values in the sorted columns are to retain the same relative positions in the output data set as in the input data set.   Allow variation   (NOEQUALS)     Specifies that rows with identical BY variable values are to retain the same relative positions in the output data set as in the input data set.   Duplicate rows       Keep all rows      Does not remove any rows.   Remove rows with duplicate values in the sort columns   (NODUPKEY)     Compares values in the requested sorted columns of the current row with the previous for a match. If found, the current row is not written to output data set.     Remove duplicate rows (NODUPRECS)       Compares all values in the current row with the previous row for an exact match. If found, the current row is not written to output data set.   Force redundant sorting  (FORCE)     The Sort step checks for the sort indicator before it sorts a data set so that data is not sorted again unnecessarily. By default, the Sort step does not sort a data set if the sort information matches the requested sort. You can use this option to override this behavior.     Use tags to sort large data   (TAGSORT)     Useful when there is limited disk space because it stores only the sorted columns and the observation numbers in temporary files and then uses the files to retrieve the records on sort completion.       1 To verify the session default, use the OPTIONS procedure.     3.      Remove Duplicates Step The Remove Duplicates step removes redundant rows from an input data source. Use this step when reading from a CAS table and generating the output as a CAS table to ensure duplicates are eliminated.   In the following GIF, I have used a CAS table as input, chosen to Remove duplicates across all columns, Show detailed log information, Write duplicate rows to the log and output, promote and save as a new CAS table.   The log shows that the row with the name of Louise was a duplicate and has been removed.     4.      Table Viewer The table viewer enables you to interactively choose columns, apply filters, sort, and perform other actions on your SAS data.   In the following GIF, I have chosen to sort Name in Ascending order, Subject in Descending order and I have hidden TestScore. I have also used the (More Options) to select Show distinct rows > Visible columns to remove duplicate rows for the visible columns only.     Comparison of SAS Table Sorting Techniques The method you choose to use when sorting tables in SAS Studio depends on your requirements.   Opt for the Query step if your requirements extend beyond merely sorting or removing duplicates. Storing a CAS table in a sorted order is not necessary as the order of rows in a CAS table is not predictable. Select the Remove Duplicates step to eliminate duplicate rows from a CAS table and generate the output as a CAS table.   Other Resources   It would be rather remiss of me to not at least mention the powerful PROC SORT procedure! To find out more, please see this article How to sort data in SAS by Andy Ravenna (@AndyRav).   A useful paper if you have CAS tables, Parallel Programming with the DATA Step: Next Steps by David Bultman and Jason Secosky, for coding hints and tips.   Please feel free to add a comment to ask about other resources you may require!   To learn more about Sorting in SAS Studio and many other data managing techniques, please see the new Managing and Querying Data Using Flows in SAS Studio course.     Find more articles from SAS Global Enablement and Learning here. ... View more

Have you seen the message in the Tasks section of the navigation pane in SAS Studio on SAS Viya 4, stating, 'The task functionality is being replaced by custom steps'? Discover all the details about this update in my latest post.   Overview Tasks are point-and-click user interfaces designed to guide users through analytical processes. They have been a longstanding feature within SAS Studio, available across versions 3.x, 5.x, and 2024.x (see my previous post for versioning information) and all use the same XML-based task model language.     SAS Studio currently provides users with predefined tasks and the flexibility to create Custom tasks using the Common Task Model (CTM) tailored to their specific requirements. This approach remains consistent for SAS Studio versions 3.x and 5.x. However, in SAS Studio 2024.x, Custom tasks are superseded by Custom steps.     Custom steps offer enhanced functionality, allowing users to create tailored user interfaces to guide users through specific tasks, including analytical processes. These steps retain most of the functionality of Tasks while introducing additional features. For instance, Custom steps can operate independently or be integrated into a flow. In SAS Studio Analyst and SAS Studio Engineer, the Designer interface streamlines the process of creating these Custom steps.    For all of these reasons, Tasks in SAS Studio on SAS Viya 4 will reach end-of life (EOL) in 2024.12 stable release and 2025.03 LTS release*.    *Subject to Change     Select any image to see a larger version. Mobile users: To view the images, select the "Full" version at the bottom of the page.     Frequently Asked Questions   What is a Task? Tasks are point-and-click user interfaces designed to guide users through analytical processes.     What is a Custom Step? A custom step in SAS Studio on SAS Viya allows you to create a user interface to automatically update and run SAS code, enabling users to perform specific tasks efficiently. For more information, please see this SAS Viya Quick Start video on Creating Custom Steps by @StaceySyphus.     What’s the difference between a Task and a Custom Step? The primary difference is the underlying technology used. Tasks use XML-based task model whilst Custom steps use a flexible JSON-based model for custom transformations.   Another significant difference is the use of a Visual Designer for creating Custom steps in SAS Studio Analyst and SAS Studio Engineer, allowing you to create a Custom step with knowledge of SAS programming, including macros.     For enhanced functionality, you can also integrate Python code in your custom step.   Last but not least, Custom steps can be used in flows and standalone mode, whilst Tasks can only be used in standalone mode.     What will happen to the Tasks currently provided with SAS Studio? By the time Tasks reach EOL, most SAS-provided Tasks will be converted into SAS Studio steps and will be accessible in the Steps pane under their respective categories. Conversion of the remaining Tasks to SAS Studio steps will continue post-EOL. Currently, these steps can be used in Flows, but not in standalone mode. Step availability depends on your licence, please see this link for more information Summary of Flow Functionality.     What about my User-Created Task? After Tasks reach EOL, you will still be able to see your Tasks in the navigation pane. Upon opening, a message detailing that Tasks are no longer a feature available in SAS Studio and will suggest converting your existing Task to a step using the conversion tool. For more information, please see the SAS Help Centre | Convert Your SAS Studio Tasks to Custom Steps.     Where has the Task section in the navigation pane of SAS Studio gone? In version 2024.07, the Task section of the navigation pane will not be shown by default. To access the Tasks pane (until Tasks are EOL) select View   Navigation panes  Tasks.      Closing SAS Viya is updated continuously, with monthly releases that provide the latest bug fixes, security patches, and software enhancements. These updates are known as stable releases. Additionally, the long-term support (LTS) release is issued semi-annually, consolidating features, enhancements, bug fixes, and security patches from the stable releases. To stay current with recent updates for your version, please review the Summary of Flow Functionality and a Summary of Custom Steps Functionality.   Acknowledgments Special thanks to the SAS Studio Product Manager, @Alexey_Vodilin ,  for editing, contributions, and valuable suggestions for improving this article. Also special thanks to @StaceySyphus for the brilliant SAS Viya Quick Start videos and ongoing support.     If you are interested in learning more about Custom Steps in SAS Studio, the SAS Studio Learning Subscription contains the course Developing Custom Steps with SAS Studio Analyst.      Find more articles from SAS Global Enablement and Learning here. ... View more

SAS® Studio is a web-based application revolutionizing SAS interaction. Accessible anytime, anywhere, on any device, it offers easy data exploration, streamlined data transformation, analysis, and visualization through predefined steps, simplifying complex tasks for all.   We've prioritized user experience when designing the SAS Studio interface, ensuring it enhances productivity and satisfaction. This article highlights some productivity features (in no particular order), with many more integrated into the user interface.    Introducing SAS Studio   If you are new to SAS Studio, watch this video that explores the SAS Viya platform and introduces the SAS Studio application and its features.      Productivity Features   Below are some of the many features that enhance productivity!    1. The Start Page   2. My Favourites   3. Document Recovery Window   4. Background Submit   5. Submission Status   6. Easily access Keyboard Shortcuts   7. Optimizing Screen Real Estate   8. Moving Horizontally   9. Creating a Program Summary   10. Scheduled Jobs   1. The Start Page   The Start Page is available as soon as you sign in to SAS Studio, and enables quick initiation of SAS tasks including starting a new SAS program, building a flow, importing data, or creating a query. You can also access recently opened and saved items and items that you mark as favourites. These items can be:   opened from the list by either double-clicking the item or by right-clicking the item and selecting Open  added by right-clicking an item in the Explorer section of the navigation pane and selecting Add to My Favorites removed from your My Favorites by right-clicking on an item in the Explorer section of the navigation pane and selecting Remove from My Favorites cleared by right-clicking on the list and selecting Clear or Clear all    Select any image to see a larger version. Mobile users: To view the images, select the "Full" version at the bottom of the page.   2. My Favorites   Speaking of favorites...    When you add or remove files to My Favorites, as above, they are also added to the My Favorites folder in the Explorer section of the navigation pane.  This folder accommodates a variety of file types, including SAS data sets, other data files, programs, flows, snippets, tasks, and queries, allowing for streamlined organization and accessibility.      3. Document Recovery Window   By default, SAS Studio automatically saves open files, such as SAS programs, flows, queries and tasks in the event of a timeout or unexpected closure. The Document Recovery window enables you to administer these saved files.  To view the Document Recover window, click View > Document recovery or click Recover in the lower right corner of your SAS Studio browser window.    For each file in the Document Recovery window, you can choose from the following actions:   No action - retails the file in the list of recovered documents. The file continues to be available from the Document Recovery window until you recover it or delete it.  Recover - opens the file in a new tab in the work area. The file is deleted from the list of recovered documents.  Delete - deletes the files from the list of recovered documents.    You can also recover or delete all of the documents by clicking Recover All or Delete All.      When you have chosen your action you can select:   Apply and Close - applies the selected actions to the files and closes the Document Recovery window. Apply - applies the selected actions to the files, but does not close the Document Recovery window. Close - closes the Document Recovery window without applying any actions to the files. The files are still available the next time you open the Document Recovery window.   The default interval for saving open files is 30 seconds, this can be amended by selecting Options > Preferences. You can also clear the check mark so no document recovery occurs.      4. Background Submit   The background submit feature enables you to run saved flows, tasks, and SAS programs in the background while you continue to use SAS Studio. Simply, right-click a file in the Explorer section of the navigation pane and select Background Submit or click   on the flow or SAS program toolbar.      Points to note:   By default, a notification message is displayed when the file is submitted and again when the file has finished running. If you sign out of SAS Studio while the file is running, the file continues to run, but the notification message that indicates when the file is finished is not displayed. To view the submission status, on the main SAS Studio toolbar, select View > Submission Status. The submission is listed with the Background submit icon. If you have previously submitted items, they will appear in the Submission Status list. Once the execution is complete, a green check mark appears next to the file name to indicate success. Because a background submission uses a separate SAS Compute Server, any libraries or tables that are created by the submission do not appear in the Libraries section of the navigation pane in SAS Studio or as an output data tab. To save tables, ensure that they are output to a permanent location and assign a libref using your current Compute Server to view them.   5. Submission Status   The Submission Status window catalogues each submission of a program, task, query, or flow during this session of SAS Studio. To view the list, simply go to View > Submission Status or click Submission in the bottom right corner. Selecting an entry opens it in a new tab, along with the log-  ideal for reviewing and editing earlier versions of programs, tasks, queries, or flows.    Note:   When your SAS Studio session ends, all items from the Submission Status window are removed except for background submissions. You must manually clear background submission items to remove them from the Submission Status window. The code that is opened from the Submission Status window is a copy of the code that SAS Studio executed and is no longer associated with the original program, task, query, or flow. Editing this code does not affect the original program, task, query, or flow.     Items displayed in the Submission Status window can be customised in several ways:   Use the Filter pane to subset the displayed items by submission status. Use the Filter submissions list box to specify filter criteria for the Name column. To remove an individual item from the submission list, right-click the item and select Clear. To remove all items from the submission list, click Clear All on the Submission Status window toolbar. Items that are in the process of being submitted are not cleared from the list.   6. Keyboard Shortcuts   Do you prefer to use your keyboard over your mouse? Press F3 to run you flow or program? Ever wondered what other keyboard shortcuts are available?  SAS Studio offers a plethora of keyboard shortcuts. To find out what shortcuts are available, click   (Keyboard shortcuts) in the lower right of the application. My favourite -for flows- is using Alt+P to create a new flow and my favourite for programming is using Ctrl+/ to comment out lines of code Ctrl +\ to comment out a block of code (as per gif below).     You can also change the keyboard shortcuts by selecting Manage keyboard shortcuts from the Keyboard Shortcuts pane or by selecting Options on the SAS Studio toolbar and selecting Manage keyboard shortcuts.   7. Optimizing Screen Real Estate   Screen real estate can sometimes be quite a luxury, depending on the size of your monitor. Utilizing full-screen mode in an application enhances concentration and efficiency by maximizing available screen space, thereby reducing distractions and facilitating clear visibility and seamless interaction with content.   In SAS Studio, there are numerous methods to optimize your screen real estate, including:   Alt+P or View>Full screen to 'hide' the navigation pan and the SAS Studio toolbar.      << Hide Pane will hide the navigation pane. You can also click the same icon to hide and unhide the navigation pane, for example, below, click   (Explorer) to hide the navigation pane. Click  (Explorer) again to unhide.     Click _ (Minimize preview),   (Restore preview) or   ( Maximise preview) screens     8. Moving horizontally   Using the horizontal scroll in SAS Studio enables efficient navigation through wide datasets or code lines while maintaining optimal screen space. You can simply scroll using the mouse or use shift + mouse scroll down button when the mouse cursor is on the horizontal bar to move the horizontal bar to the right (see both actions in the gif below).     9. Creating a Program Summary   Hate creating documentation for your code? Take a look at the Program Summary! After submitting code (written or code generated automatically during execution), select More Options> Open in a browser tab> Summary. The Program Summary page is an HTML file that opens in a separate browser tab, providing details on program execution, the full source code, the complete log, and the results.      10. Scheduled Jobs   You can use the SAS Studio scheduling feature to schedule saved items, including programs, tasks, queries, and flows, to run at a specified time and frequency. When scheduling or deploying a SAS Studio flow, a SAS Viya job request is created that includes a SAS Viya job definition. The SAS Viya job request specifies how the job should be run and the SAS Viya job definition provides what should be run (in other words, a snapshot of the generated code and any other information required for the code to execute successfully).   Right-click the item in the Explorer section of the navigation pane and select Schedule as a job. In the New Trigger window, specify how frequently to run the job. You can also specify the time at which the job should run and the start date and the end date for running the job. Click Save. You can use the Deployed and Scheduled Jobs window to view and manage your scheduled jobs.     Here are some points to note:   When a job is running, you cannot cancel it. The job runs to completion. After the job is scheduled or deployed, any changes made to the SAS Studio flow can be incorporated into the job by redeploying the job. The SAS Studio scheduling feature provides basic scheduling functionality for a single user. Administrators can access more advanced scheduling options by using SAS Environment Manager.   Summary   These are just a few of the powerful productivity features available in SAS Studio on the SAS Viya platform. Is your go-to feature mentioned here? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and stay tuned – your favorite feature could be the star of our next post!   Acknowledgements Thanks go to the SAS Studio Product Manager, @Alexey_Vodilin  for editing, contributions and valuable suggestions for improvements of this article.   Find more articles from SAS Global Enablement and Learning here. ... View more

From Zero to SAS: Using SAS Studio to Summarize and Manipulate Your Data Q&A, Slides, and On-Demand Recording   Watch this Ask the Expert session to learn how to point and click your way to summarizing and manipulating data with SAS Studio before analysis.    Watch the webinar     You will learn about: The features of various versions of SAS Studio. Using Tasks and Steps in SAS Studio to manipulate and summarise data.   The questions from the Q&A segment held at the end of the webinar are listed below and the slides from the webinar are attached.   Q&A Answered Where does SAS Enterprise 8.3 belong? Enterprise Guide 8.3 is a different application than SAS Studio. Although, it can also be used to write and develop SAS code and use point-and-click functionality to generate code. Enterprise Guide is a Windows application, while SAS Studio is browser-based.     Can you save an autoexecute file in SAS Studio on SAS 9? Yes, there is the ability to create and save an autoexec file in all versions of SAS Studio. In SAS Studio on SAS 9, it's under the More Application Options menu in the upper right corner. SAS Studio 3.8 - Editing the Autoexec File   In SAS Studio on SAS Viya, access the autoexec using the Options button on the Application menu. You can add to that, or you can copy and paste it and put it into another SAS program. SAS Studio 2024.x -  Editing the Autoexec File     How do I get dark theme in SAS Studio? There isn't currently an option to view in dark theme in SAS Studio 3.8.   For SAS Viya 2024.x User icon (top right of the application bar) > Settings> General> Choose a theme drop-down menu.     What is the best browser to run SAS studio on SAS 9? SAS Studio supports multiple web browsers, including Google Chrome, Apple Safari, and Mozilla Firefox. Some releases of SAS Studio also support Microsoft Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge. I personally use Chrome. Here is a link to the documentation for more information: https://support.sas.com/software/products/sas-studio/faq/SASStudio_browsers.htm#:~:text=SAS%20Studio%20supports%20multiple%20web,Internet%20Explorer%20and%20Microsoft%20Edge.     Can you show how you linked them at the end again? You can click on the output port (on the right side) of one node and drag to the input port (on the left side) of another node.     Did you say there is a free SAS Studio version online? If yes, how can I access it? Yes! Here's the link to SAS On-Demand for Academics, which is free access to SAS Studio 3.8 on SAS 9. It is available for anyone learning SAS, whether you are an official student or not: https://www.sas.com/en_us/software/on-demand-for-academics.html If you want to try SAS Studio on SAS Viya, then here is a link to the 14-day free trial: https://www.sas.com/en_us/trials/software/viya/viya-trial-form.html   If you are a student with a university email you can access SAS Viya for Learners. Here is the link for SAS® Viya for Learners     What is SAS Studio? What’s different from other SAS interfaces? We have lots of different applications in SAS and they're all designed to do something slightly different. The applications used for writing and submitting SAS code are mainly Base SAS (also called the Windowing environment, or the Display Manager), SAS Studio, and SAS Enterprise Guide. But the application that's generally compared to SAS Studio is SAS Enterprise Guide. They both have the point-and-click interface and they both can write and submit code. The biggest difference between the two is the fact that you can use SAS Studio on a web browser, whereas SAS Enterprise Guide is a Microsoft Windows application. But they are generally quite similar.     You seem to have a lot more options in the SAS Steps section. Is it because I'm running another version of SAS Studio Analyst (2022.09)? Yes, that's definitely the case. We have added a lot more steps since that version. And we continue to add more with each release. This link takes you to the most up-to-date documentation on flow functionality, including the steps available. Use the version drop-down menu to select your version of the software.     Do you have a list of best practices when using SAS Studio Visual Programming? Please see this SAS Communities post for more information on the Visual Programming perspective. SAS Studio 3.8 Visual Programming     Is it possible to import process flows from EG? When you open a SAS Enterprise Guide project in SAS Studio 3.8, the process flows in the project are extracted and converted to process flows in SAS Studio. For more information here -  Converting SAS Enterprise Guide Projects to SAS Studio Process Flows   For SAS Studio 2024.x, you would need to migrate the Enterprise Guide project. SAS Studio will endeavour to translate the tasks used in SAS Enterprise Guide into steps in SAS Studio. You want to make sure that SAS Studio has migrated the flow correctly. For more information Tips for SAS Enterprise Guide Users     Where is the SQL displayed and saved? And how many kinds of joins are in the dropdown list? In SAS Studio 3.8 With the Code/Results view active in the Query task, select Edit to create a copy of the code in a new SAS program. Please note, the code is no longer connected to the task and vice versa.       There are 4 types of joins; inner, left, right and full join.       SAS Studio 2024.x When using a Query step in a flow you can review/copy the generated code (as per picture below). This is for the whole flow.   When using a standalone query you can Edit the code, as per below screenshot.   There are currently 4 types of joins; inner, left, right and full join. Always check the most up-to-date documentation.     Can it handle large datasets with millions of records (>20 GB size)? Yes, but performance always depends on the size of the SAS server provisioned behind the scenes.     Will the drag and drop join work, if the target columns from different tables are not named the same, or not formatted the same? For example, Country $20 vs. CTRY $2 Tables can be joined based on columns with different names. SAS automatically matches columns with the same name and type for the join. If no matches are found, a manual join can be performed.     Can it convert existing SAS code into a process flow? Yes, you can convert existing SAS code into a flow in SAS Studio 2024.x. When the SAS program has been saved, either right-click on the .sas program using the Explorer section of the navigation pane and select Create flow from program or open the flow, click More Options (3 dots in the right of the program window) and select Create flow from program. Follow the instructions.     Do we have Chi-square testing functionality in the versions you demonstrated here? Yes, you can achieve Chi-square testing functionality by using the One-Way Frequencies Task/Step. SAS Studio 3.8 – One-Way Frequencies Task: Setting Options SAS Studio 2024.x - One-Way Frequencies     I am a little confused as to the purpose of the City table in the process flow window. Can you explain? The CityState column in the Employeesales SAS table contains the City and State. The demo extracted the state from the CityState column and created a new column called State, that only contained the last word (after the comma).     Do we have a similar webinar/training for SAS EG? We do have lots of training for SAS Enterprise Guide. https://learn.sas.com/enterprise_guide Ask the Expert- SAS Enterprise Guide     Currently, we cannot connect to Unix and Local in EG, is that possible to do in Studio? Not sure if this is our enterprise limitation or not. I would have to know a little bit more about what's going on in the set up. My advice would be to reach out to Technical Support and ask them to help if you're having any issues like that.     How do I export tables loaded in memory to local in SAS Viya? You can use the PROC CASUTIL step with the SAVE statement to save an in-memory table to a variety of different file types (SASHDAT, SAS7BDAT, XLSX, CSV and others). Once the file is saved to disk, you can use the Explorer in SAS Studio to navigate to the file on your SAS Server, then right-click and select Download to download a copy to your local machine.     When you create flows by migrating multiple Data Integration Studio jobs, does it place the flow nodes? And does each node become its own node of code or is the migration tool smart enough to see the same node being used over and over and create just one reused node? Please see Tips for SAS Data Integration Studio Users for information on migrating DI Studio jobs.     Recommended Resources Many of the resources on this page are for SAS Studio 3.8 Whilst many resources on this page are for SAS Studio on SAS Viya (2024.x)   SAS Studio, SAS Studio Analyst & SAS Studio Engineer- oh my! General Feature Comparison among SAS Studio Releases What Is the Difference between SAS Studio Tasks and Custom Steps?   SAS OnDemand for Academics Getting Started with SAS Studio - Youtube Getting Started with SAS Studio - Tutorial Overview of SAS Studio Tasks 5.2  (use the version drop-down menu to select your SAS studio version) Understanding Tasks in SAS Studio 5.2 (use the version drop-down menu to select your SAS studio version)       Want more tips? Be sure to subscribe to the Ask the Expert board to receive follow up Q&A, slides and recordings from other SAS Ask the Expert webinars. ... View more

Discover SAS® Studio -an innovative web application that transforms the way you engage with SAS. Seamlessly accessible through your web browser so, you can access SAS at any time, from anywhere on any device. Dive into data files and libraries with unparalleled ease and effortlessly create data pipelines for data transformation, analysis and visualizations using a variety of predefined steps, simplifying complex operations for everyone.   With multiple releases available, this article highlights features of SAS Studio that can boost your productivity and enable you to achieve more in less time! What will your favourite feature be?   SAS Studio releases   SAS Studio was initially released in March 2014 on SAS 9. Since then, versions have been released for SAS Viya that include updates and enhancements, to address user feedback, incorporate new technologies, and improve overall performance.   SAS Studio 3.8 on SAS 9 SAS Studio 3.8* (SAS 9) empowers users to write SAS code seamlessly through a browser and serves as the foundation for SAS On-Demand for Academics- our free learning software. Enhance coding efficiency and productivity by using code snippets, tasks, standalone queries, and basic flows ( via the visual programmer mode) to generate SAS code.         SAS Studio 5.2 on the SAS Viya Platform SAS Studio 5.2* (SAS Viya Platform) can also be used anytime to write and generate SAS code and is the foundation for SAS Analytics Pro.   This version has undergone a redesign and omits flows yet retains valuable features such as code snippets, tasks, standalone queries and GIT integration.   Noteworthy distinctions between the SAS Viya and SAS Analytics Pro versions exist; the SAS Analytics Pro version depicted here does not incorporate background submit functionality, scheduling, or SAS Viya Jobs but SAS Analytics Pro does support proc python. For more information see General Feature Comparison among SAS Studio Releases.       *SAS Studio 3.x and SAS Studio 5.x  are not slated to receive any additional features. All new advancements and features will be available in SAS Studio 2024.x.     SAS Studio Basic on the SAS Viya Platform (2022.x,2023.x,2024.x) SAS Studio Basic serves as the entry-level product, offering foundational features. It enhances productivity by enabling users to create data pipelines using, standalone queries, and predefined steps and flows. A SAS Studio Flow uses steps to provide a visual sequence of operations on data. When added to a flow, the step becomes a node and can be connected to specify the order of execution. The output of one node is often the input to another node.   SAS Studio is shipped with many predefined steps, depending on your SAS Studio license (SAS Studio Basic, SAS Studio Analyst or SAS Studio Engineer).   SAS Studio Basic also includes Git and Python integration.     SAS Studio Analyst on the SAS Viya Platform (2022.x,2023.x,2024.x) SAS Studio Analyst includes the SAS Studio Basic product functionality plus some additional features for analysts, including analytical and reporting steps and a custom step visual designer! This amazing feature enables you to create a user interface to facilitate customization of SAS code that is routinely submitted by you or other SAS Studio users.       SAS Studio Engineer on the SAS Viya Platform (2022.x,2023.x,2024.x) SAS Studio Engineer includes all of the functionality of SAS Studio Analyst and additional data engineering steps, specifically data quality steps and data integration steps like slowly changing dimensions. These steps have been designed to work with a variety of databases.    In addition SAS Studio Engineer includes the Execute Decisions step which seamlessly integrates with our Intelligent Decisioning product, facilitating the execution of decision flows within your data pipeline. This enables a cohesive connection between data preparation and insights.         Learning More   Would you like to learn more about the different versions of SAS Studio? Take a look at the table below for a sample of useful videos, courses and documentation available.   Already have SAS Studio? Which release/version do you have?   To view the release information for SAS Studio:   On SAS 9, click (Help) and select About SAS Studio. On SAS Viya, click User Name, to the top right of the screen on the application bar, and select About.     SAS Studio 3.8 SAS® Analytics Pro (SAS Studio 5.2) SAS Studio Basic SAS Studio Analyst SAS Studio Engineer Video Getting Started with SAS Studio   Getting Started with SAS Studio on SAS Viya Video Writing a Basic SAS Program Develop Code with SAS Studio ** Video   Use Python Code in SAS Studio  Video Working in SAS Studio     Build Flows with SAS Studio Video       Create Custom Steps with SAS Studio Repository     SAS Studio Custom Steps Repository Video           Data Integration with the Merge Table Step Course Exploring SAS® Studio for SAS® Programmers Exploring SAS® Studio for SAS® Analytics Pro   Building SAS® Studio Flows in SAS® Viya® Course   Writing a Custom Task for SAS® Studio     Developing Custom Steps with SAS® Studio Analyst Course       Using SAS® Studio Flows and Custom Steps in SAS® Viya®- Fast Track   Course         Using SAS® Studio Engineer Steps in SAS® Studio Flows Documentation     Summary of Flow Functionality Documentation     Summary of Custom Steps Functionality   **Designed for 2022.x, 2023.x & 2024.x and predominantly accurate for SAS Analytics Pro and SAS Viya 5.2  (see General Feature Comparison among SAS Studio Releases for more information on differences)   Summary   SAS Viya is continuously evolving and updating to include even more amazing features and enhancements! You can use this link General Feature Comparison among SAS Studio Releases for the most recent information on SAS Studio feature comparison.       With multiple releases at your disposal, which release contains your favourite feature? My favourite feature has to be custom steps in SAS Viya. You can use the point-and-click visual designer to build an intuitive user interface that will update SAS code when submitted- without even seeing the code!   Let me know what your favourite feature is!   Acknowledgements   Thanks go to the SAS Studio Product Manager, @Alexey_Vodilin  for editing, contributions and valuable suggestions for improvements of this article.       Find more articles from SAS Global Enablement and Learning here. ... View more

In my previous post, SAS Studio Custom Steps: Reduce, Reuse & Recycle Part I, we discussed how you can reduce setup and configuration time when creating custom steps by reusing the controls in the Sample Controls custom step. Following on from that post, we will now discuss how to recycle custom steps using the SAS Studio Custom Step Repository.   Reuse & Recycle   SAS Studio custom steps are a great way to promote code reusability. Once developed, they can be used by other SAS Studio users.   This video reviews the SAS Studio custom step repository in GitHub where you and other SAS users can publish, share and download custom steps. We will download a single step, upload it into SAS Studio and use it as a standalone step.       Want to try it for yourself? Here are the instructions.   View and Investigate the SAS Custom Step Repository   To view the SAS custom step repository, go to github.com/sassoftware/sas-studio-custom-steps. Select any image to see a larger version. Mobile users: To view the images, select the "Full" version at the bottom of the page. The repository contains several custom steps, including steps representing advanced data transformations. We recommend checking the built-in SAS Studio steps and the SAS Studio custom steps repository before creating your own custom step, just in case a step already exists that’s the same or similar to your requirements. Scroll down to the Getting Started section. Click the link labelled Using a Custom Step from the GitHub repository in SAS Studio for the most up-to-date instructions on downloading custom steps from this repository and making them available for use in your SAS Studio environment.    You can download the complete repository or a single file step.   Click the link labelled sas-studio-custom-steps, in the breadcrumbs at the top of the page, to return to the home page. You are encouraged to participate and contribute to the repository. Scroll down and click the link labelled CONTRIBUTING.md to review how you can contribute your own custom steps!   Downloading a Single Step   If necessary, click the link labelled sas-studio-custom-steps to return to the home page in the GitHub repository. Click Lookup to open the folder containing the Lookup step and instructions. The Lookup custom step will add a column to a table by performing a lookup on another table using hash objects. Please be aware that custom steps in the repository are hosted by SAS but contributed to by the global SAS community. This means that they are not guaranteed to be backwards compatible, so it’s advisable to view any requirements, version dates, or both. The Lookup step does not have any requirements. Click the Lookup.step link. Click   to download the step to the Downloads folder.   Uploading a Single Step   Now we can upload the custom step in SAS Studio. Log into SAS Studio on SAS Viya. If necessary, click   in the navigation pane, on the left. To make SAS custom steps available in the Shared tab of the Steps section in the navigation pane, we need to save it in SAS Content.  Expand SAS Content. To make it available to other users, it needs to be saved in a folder that has the restrictions/permission you require. I only have My Folder available to me in my SAS Viya environment which means that, when the custom step is saved, myself and administrators will see it in the Shared tab of the Steps section in the navigation pane but no one else will. Expand Folder Shortcuts and Shortcut to My Folder. Select   to upload the file. Click Add and navigate to the Downloads. Select Lookup.step and click Open. Click Upload to upload the custom step to your folder.   Using a Custom Step in the SAS Studio Workspace   Now I can use the custom step in a tab in the SAS Studio workspace, often referred to as standalone. Of course, you can also use this step in a flow if that suits your requirements. We will use the GEOEXM data table from the SASHELP library. This data table contains street addresses from North Carolina. We will use the ZIP Code as the lookup key to return the variable that contains the County name from the ZIPCODE data table, also from the SASHELP library.   Click   in the navigation pane to access the Steps section. Select the Shared tab and right-click Lookup and select Open in a tab. Click   at the end of the prompt labelled Base table. Click SASHELP, select GEOEXM, and click OK. On the prompt labelled Columns to keep, click . Select Name, City, and ZIP and click OK. Click   at the end of the prompt labelled Lookup table. Click SASHELP, select ZIPCODE, and click OK. On the prompt labelled Lookup Key Column(s), click   and select ZIP and then OK. Click   on the prompt labelled Return Column and select COUNTYNM and click OK. Leave the prompt labelled Value to use when lookup does not return values. At the end of the prompt labelled Result Table, click  . Click WORK, enter NC, for North Carolina, in the Table field, and click OK. Click Submit Custom Step to run the custom step.   The output data table named NC appears to the right of the custom step and contains 21259 rows and 4 columns. The last column, named COUNTYNM, contains the column returned from the lookup.       Summary   There are so many valuable assets available regarding SAS Custom Steps for SAS Studio! During this post we downloaded one step, take a look here for advice on uploading all steps from the SAS Studio Custom Step Repository.   To summarize:   For custom steps to be available in the Shared tab of the Steps section in the navigation pane they must be saved in SAS Content. To make them available to other store custom steps in a folder with the necessary permissions. Before embarking on creating custom steps, check the SAS provided steps and the SAS Studio Custom Step Repository in case a similar step to your requirements already exists. Share your finished custom step with other SAS Studio users by adding it to the SAS Studio Custom Step Repository. Learn more about SAS Custom Steps by attending the Developing Custom Steps using SAS Studio Analyst course.   Useful Links:   SAS Studio Custom Step Repository (GITHUB) Uploading all Custom Steps from the SAS Software GitHub repository to SAS Viya How to Download a Custom Step from the SAS GitHub Repository     Find more articles from SAS Global Enablement and Learning here. ... View more