How This Book is Organized

SAS System Concepts

In the SAS System Concepts section of this book, you learn about the basic elements of the SAS System that are the building blocks of SAS language: rules for words and names, variables, missing values, expressions, dates, times, and intervals, and each of the six SAS language elements - data set options, formats, functions, informats, statements, and system options.

SAS System Concepts also provides introductory information that helps you begin to use SAS, including information about the SAS log, SAS output, error processing, and debugging. Information about SAS processing prepares you to write SAS programs.

DATA Step Concepts

The DATA Step Concepts section provides detailed discussion and examples of how to write DATA step programs. This part of the book explains how to construct many types of programs and how SAS processes your programs. The discussion begins with an overview of DATA step processing and a walkthrough of a sample DATA step program. Later sections cover more advanced topics, such as report writing, BY-group processing, array processing, and creating and executing stored compiled DATA step programs.

This part of the book also thoroughly examines SAS data sets and how to create and use them in your programs. Topics include reading raw data and reading, combining, and modifying SAS data sets.

SAS Files Concepts

The SAS Files Concepts section covers advanced topics that enable you to explore how individual pieces of the SAS System work. While you might not need much of this information to write effective SAS programs, you might find the information helpful for more advanced applications.

The section discusses and compares the elements that comprise the physical file structure that SAS uses, including data sets, data libraries, data files, data views, catalogs, engines, and external files. Advanced topics include the audit trail, integrity constraints, indexes, and file protection.

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