SAS/ACCESS Interface to SYSTEM 2000 Data Management Software: Reference

Overview of Using the Interface

The SAS/ACCESS interface consists of four parts:

the ACCESS procedure, which you use to define the SAS/ACCESS descriptor files
the interface view engine, which enables you to use SYSTEM 2000 data in SAS programs in much the same way that you use SAS data files
the DBLOAD procedure, which enables you to create and load SYSTEM 2000 databases using data from SAS data sets
the QUEST procedure, which enables you to access SYSTEM 2000 software and issue SYSTEM 2000 statements from the SAS System.

The ACCESS procedure enables you to describe SYSTEM 2000 data to the SAS System. You store the description in SAS/ACCESS descriptor files, which you can use in SAS programs just as you would use SAS data files. You can print, plot, and chart the data described by the descriptor files, use them to create other SAS data files, and so on.

Defining SAS/ACCESS Descriptor Files provides instructions for creating the descriptor files. Using SYSTEM 2000 Data in SAS Programs presents several examples of using SYSTEM 2000 data accessed by the descriptor files in SAS programs. Browsing and Updating SYSTEM 2000 Data shows how to use the descriptor files to update SYSTEM 2000 data from within a SAS program as well as how to access SYSTEM 2000 software directly to issue SYSTEM 2000 statements.

Creating and Loading SYSTEM 2000 Databases shows how to use the DBLOAD procedure to create and load SYSTEM 2000 databases using SAS data.

The interface view engine is an integral part of the SAS/ACCESS interface, but you do not have to deal directly with the engine. The SAS System automatically interacts with the interface view engine when you use SYSTEM 2000 data in your SAS programs, so you can simply use SYSTEM 2000 data just as you would use SAS data.

You may need to combine data from several SYSTEM 2000 databases, external databases such as DB2, Version 6 SAS data sets, and Version 7 SAS data sets. Such combinations are not only possible but easy to do. The SAS System can distinguish between SAS data files, SAS/ACCESS descriptor files, and other types of SAS files, and the software will use the appropriate access method. See Using SYSTEM 2000 Data in SAS Programs for an example of combining data from Version 6 and Version 7 data sets.

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