Use %SYSEXEC COPY in conjunction with macros and the data step in order to copy selected files (including non-SAS files) from one directory to another. Thanks to Louise Hadden for this tip. Read more details in this paper from WUSS 2017: Get Smart Eliminate Kaos and Stay in Control Creating a Complex Directory Structure with the DLCREATEDIR Statement SAS Macro Language and Control Tables. ... View more

You can turn off the default autocomplete feature of the SAS Studio program editor in the Preferences window. But you can still access this feature by holding down the Control key and pressing the space bar as you type in the editor. Thanks to Lora Delwiche and Susan Slaughter for this tip. Read more details in this paper from WUSS 2017: SAS Studio A New Way to Program in SAS. ... View more

As a rule, the best visual business intelligence solutions are indelibly etched in the brain, and at the same time are brief and are simple to understand. Thanks to Karen Walker for this tip. Read more details in this paper from WUSS 2017: Cell Growth Simulation using SAS. ... View more

Making movies from your SAS® Graphics files gets complicated quickly. It helps to think of it as creating a movie from an “ANIMATED GIF” made from a collection of .GIF files in a SAS Catalog. I recommend sticking to one format, file size, and suffix until you are comfortable with processing reports that show your simulations. Thanks to Karen Walker for this tip. Read more details in this paper from WUSS 2017: Cell Growth Simulation using SAS. ... View more

You can cycle data files through your smartphone camera interface. Thanks to Karen Walker for this tip. Read more details in this paper from WUSS 2017: Cell Growth Simulation using SAS. ... View more

Given an arbitrary file (not a .sas7bdat file), open the file using FILENAME statement/functions and read the header. Certain patterns in the header are a strong indicator the file may be a SAS data set. Thanks to Thomas Billings for this tip. Read more details in this paper from WUSS 2017: Methods to Identify and Validate SASProprietary and AES Encrypted SAS Data Sets. ... View more

An automated way to test if a SAS data set is encrypted is to use SAS functions to open the data set, try to read a record, and then check for an error message via the SYSMSG function. Thanks to Thomas Billings for this tip. Read more details in this paper from WUSS 2017: Methods to Identify and Validate SASProprietary and AES Encrypted SAS Data Sets. ... View more

Compiled, encrypted macros are not secure: some source code may be visible in the compiled macro file. Specifying the sensitive parameters in %LOCAL variables may keep the information hidden. Thanks to Thomas Billings for this tip. Read more details in this paper from WUSS 2017: Secure MacroBased Method to Assign LIBNAMEs for Databases. ... View more

Compiled, encrypted macros automatically turn off MPRINT, SYMBOLGEN, MLOGIC options so generated code/text is hidden. Thanks to Thomas Billings for this tip. Read more details in this paper from WUSS 2017: Secure MacroBased Method to Assign LIBNAMEs for Databases. ... View more

If written with the appropriate logic, compiled, encrypted function style macros can be used to securely keep sensitive strings (passwords, keys, etc.) out of SAS code and logs. Thanks to Thomas Billings for this tip. Read more details in this paper from WUSS 2017: Keeping Passwords AES Encryption Keys and Other Sensitive Parameters Out of Source Code and Logs. ... View more

Passwords and keys encoded using PROC PWENCODE do not work for AES encryption keys and SAS data set proprietary passwords. Metadata-bound, encrypted meta-LIBNAMEs are an alternative. Thanks to Thomas Billings for this tip. Read more details in this paper from WUSS 2017: Keeping Passwords AES Encryption Keys and Other Sensitive Parameters Out of Source Code and Logs. ... View more

Compiled, encrypted macros are not secure: some source code may be visible in the compiled macro file. Compiling a stub macro as the last macro compiled in a run may keep the other macro code hidden in the compiled file. Thanks to Thomas Billings for this tip. Read more details in this paper from WUSS 2017: Keeping Passwords AES Encryption Keys and Other Sensitive Parameters Out of Source Code and Logs. ... View more

A hash object permits table lookup operations to be performed considerably faster than other available methods found in the SAS system. Unlike a DATA step merge or PROC SQL join where the SAS system repeatedly accesses the contents of a table stored on disk to perform table lookup operations, a hash object reads the contents of a data set into memory once allowing the SAS system to repeatedly access it, as necessary. Thanks to Kirk Paul Lafler for this tip. Read more details in this paper from WUSS 2017: A Hands-on Introduction to SAS DATA Step Hash Programming Techniques. ... View more

The name and location of the currently executing SAS program can automatically be displayed along with the output that it generates through the use of the SAS_EXECFILEPATH environmental variable. Thanks to Art Carpenter and Mary Rosenbloom for this tip. Read more details in this paper from WUSS 2017: I've Got to Hand It to You: Portable Programming Techniques. ... View more

The name of the Operating System, OS, is stored in the automatic SAS macro variable &SYSSCP. Thanks to Art Carpenter and Mary Rosenbloom for this tip. Read more details in this paper from WUSS 2017: I've Got to Hand It to You: Portable Programming Techniques. ... View more