When I first saw DS2, I converted several proc sql programs to it. DS2 runs faster. Then I realized DS2 is a life saver because it finishes many SQL jobs that otherwise will die on proc sql. So I spent a lot, buying Jordan's book, enduring all the declare statement... to learn DS2. That brings a lot of joy and value to myself and my organizations. What are you going to label me then? great learner? What are you going to label me if I tell you I am not going to spend time learning other SQL like FEDSQL? "you refuse to learn, you are not good..." After DS2, I spent some time learning programing on proc IMSTAT because it is yet another faster technology, better than SAS foundation that underlies proc sql. Now I have had yet good practice with Viya. Throughout this learning process and years, I took jobs that asked me to rewrite SAS to first R and then Python. I therefore do know first hand that not all packages interact "group by" and 'having'-like the same way SAS does. At my current job I am helping with modernizing things. The starting point is pile of legacy proc SQL code, among others. Now not only i need to recall what I learned from Howard Schreier's "proc sql by example" book way back, I also have to separate signals from non-SAS package behavior. So I thought I came here to ask people who can just spit out tome quick answers. So please do not judge companies who expect employees to selectively learn, to learn with value goals in mind, yearly, quarterly if not daily. If you learn SAS, try to learn something that runs on better, modern technologies. In other words, modernize yourself while learning. The first time I read SAS BASE documentation was ~1991 when there was no PDF. From UNIX/VAX, to mainframe, now Windows. Sometime all platforms together. I don't remember how many times I went through documentations, I still forget. I know who is good programmer when I see one. Actually very good ones often find problems with documentation and wrote books/papers about them. Schreier, Virgile, Dorfman, Whitlock? to recall a few. You are right practice makes it good (expertise not guaranteed) . On the other hand, specialty is specialty. If you ask me how HPFOREST works, or compare HPFOREST with Python, I am not going to send you to read documentation or go to stackoverflow.com. I can share with you 3-15 bullet points depending on how much detail you like. Just be humble, respect the respectable if you want good ROI of your time. Jia
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