Great question! Without knowing what class you're working on it is hard to provide a definitive answer. SAS analysts have to learn to write code or understand code well enough to change it. All of our "task" oriented tools like SAS Enterprise Guide or SAS Studio are designed to provide many of the functions of the underlying SAS procedures. However, the tasks were never intended to provide all of the flexibility and functionality that is available when writing code. Past a beginning level, if a course shows the use of code for a particular set of procedures or types of analysis, the course is designed that way because the instructors and course developers determined that the course objectives could not be met by only using tasks. For example, if you were looking at the Statistics 2 class or the Predictive Modeling using Logistic Regression class, those classes typically teach most of the topics using the level of SAS programming skills that we teach in SAS Programming 1 and SAS Programming 2. This means that the student will have a good understanding of the LIBNAME statement, writing simple programs for data manipulation, importing data, having a basic understanding of PROC SQL and a basic understanding of using SAS Macro variables. On the other hand, if you are taking the Applied Analytics using SAS Enterprise Miner course, that class uses the concept of nodes that each perform a task (but not quite in the same way as Enterprise Guide or Enterprise Miner). And, even in Enterprise Miner classes, we show how to insert and change code because it is not always possible to accomplish all the needed changes for analysis using point and click methods.   If you want more specific advice about training available or a sequence of courses for your chosen topic, you can email curriculumconsulting@sas.com and our instructors will help with course recommendations and content questions. ... View more

Great to hear you will be joining us! See answers to your questions below:  Are all the sessions, outside special sessions, 30 minutes? I notice some of the sessions are 1 hour long (See attached -> 12:30 sessions).This will affect my attendance at the other sessions at 1pm.  A: Most of the sessions are 30 minutes, however some will vary slightly due to the type of content.  What will the dress code be for this event? I know most do business casual but I'm making no assumptions. A: Dress code is smart casual. See the FAQs on the event page for dress code: https://innovate.sas.com/event/8f50bb6d-ae11-4687-a7a9-f6c8204eba24/websitePage:655ea2fb-13f5-4e4b-9dd1-61b80047e1da 3. Is there a way we can get some better sessions? These Gov't sessions I think you should nix because the world is in a worse place since covid and I really don't want to hear from these people. Honestly, I wish they would resign. We have higher prices everywhere, these forecasting system simply failed MISERABLY, and we're spending too much (reaching too far). I do want to hear more about the innovation in the SAS product(s) roadmaps...this is really all I want to hear about  A: There will be technology sessions taking place in the Innovation Hub concurrent with the industry sessions that will cover topics such as the following:  SAS Viya Productivity Gains - No Fluff, Just Facts Your Team's Viya Experience (Spoiler Alert: All Users Are Welcome) The Data Challenge and the SAS Vision Innovative Solutions Built in a Month: Lessons from the SAS Hackathon Ready? Move Your SAS Estate to the Cloud Can we get a session on how SAS has used AI / ML to make decisions for their organizations (SAS & JMP) during and after covid? A: The content for SAS Innovate is already set, but this is an Interesting suggestion we'll take into consideration for future events.   Can you discuss how these roundtables will work on the final day? 1.) Lecture then comments?, 2.) Panel w/ experts conversations? Also, can we submit questions in advance?  A: The roundtables will consist of a short presentation where the roundtable room host sets up the topic, then individual tables will discuss questions/scenarios amongst themselves.  How did you come up with these roundtable discussions? Personally, I'm only attending these roundtables (Navigating Uncertainty & Twinning to Win).  A: We gathered input from a host of sources with an eye toward providing a variety of topics.  ... View more