Where can I find a good detailed description of what exactly happens when I choose each break option in sas 9.3 after clicking the exclamation point (break) button?

[MattJans]

I've googled a little (even searched in the SAS 9.3 documentation) and I just don't see it. Please advise. Thanks!

The dialog window is titled "Tasking manager", but searching for that didn't help either.

[jakarman]

Matt, you are on windows with a local installation on SAS. You are referring  to SAS(R) 9.3 Companion for Windows (Interrupting Your SAS Session)

Assuming that is the only way of SAS with the DMS you are using, not server-based no DBMS connections no sas connect no Eguide (pfhhh that is a lot not's )

then you are asking: 

- at what moment that break is working

- the difference with the two Windows task manager options.

1/ The only thing you can see is that SAS is checking on some regular moments whether you pushed the ! break. Makes sense as those are moments that some sas processing has a stable moment to stop,

Do no expect and endless loop to stop as there are possible no stable moments,

2/ The interrupt (sigint Unix normal kill) stop task is more persistent as it will call an function to stop to react on by SAS. SAS can than stop and cleanup what is there.

3/ For the barbarians there is stop program immediate  (kill -9 Unix  abort operating) it do a stop in a very infriendly way losing possible buffers still to write to files by that causing  corruption of files.

   This is the last option when nothing helps.