I've recently moved from SAS EG 7.1 to 8.3 and have encountered the functionality where output data tables now 'unlock' after a certain number of minutes of inactivity (see photo below). This setting can be disabled by un-checking the corresponding option, or delayed by extending the minutes before it takes effect. My question is, what utility does this offer, and what impact might disabling the option have? For instance, if another program selects data from the output data table, will having the setting un-checked cause unintended results? I'm also confused by SAS' use of the term 'unlock'. The documentation states that the unlock open data setting: "Specifies how long SAS Enterprise Guide waits before releasing the lock on an idle open data set. A data set becomes idle if you have had no recent interaction with it, including mouse moves, mouse clicks, edits, refreshes, or scrolling. The default value is 3 minutes " What does 'releasing the lock' entail? If the setting to unlock open data is un-checked, would that not imply the lock is always on? Any help is appreciated.
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