Carpenter's Complete Guide to the SAS Macro Language, Third Edition - Softcover

Carpenter, Art

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1629592684 ISBN 13: 9781629592688

Publisher: SAS Institute, 2016

Synopsis

For SAS programmers or analysts who need to generalize their programs or improve programming efficiency, Art Carpenter thoroughly updates his highly successful second edition of Carpenter's Complete Guide to the SAS Macro Language with an extensive collection of new macro language techniques and examples.

Addressing the composition and operation of the SAS macro facility and the SAS macro language, this third edition offers nearly 400 ready-to-use macros, macro functions, and macro tools that enable you to convert SAS code to macros, define macro variables, and more! Users with a basic understanding of Base SAS who are new to the SAS macro language will find more detail, utilities, and references to additional learning opportunities; advanced macro language programmers who need help with data-driven macros and dynamic application development will find greatly expanded treatment of these topics.

This revised and enlarged edition includes the following topics:

• New and expanded introduction to the macro language
• Functions, automatic macro variables, and macro statements new to the macro language
• Expanded macro language tools that interface with the operating system
• Expanded data-driven methodologies used to build dynamic applications
• Expanded discussion of list processing, with four alternative approaches presented
• Additional file and data management examples
• Expanded discussion of CALL EXECUTE and DOSUBL
• New discussion of using the macro language on remote servers
• Expanded discussion and examples of macro quoting

Far beyond a reference manual issued from an “ivory tower,” this book is pragmatic and example-driven: Yes, you will find syntax examples; yes, the code is explained. But the focus of this book is on actual code used to solve real-world business problems. In fact, an entire appendix is dedicated to listing the nearly 70 classes of problems that are solved by programs covered in this edition. Discussion of the examples elucidates the pros and cons of the particular solution and often suggests alternative approaches. Therefore, this book provides you both a compendium of reusable and adaptable code, and opportunities for deepening your understanding and growing as a SAS programmer.

About this title

About the Author

Art Carpenter, an independent consultant and statistician, has been a SAS user since 1977. His impressive list of publications includes Carpenter’s Guide to Innovative SAS Techniques; Carpenter's Complete Guide to the SAS REPORT Procedure; Carpenter's Complete Guide to the SAS Macro Language, Third Edition; Annotate: Simply the Basics; his co-authored Quick Results with SAS/GRAPH Software; and two chapters in Reporting from the Field. He also has served as the general editor of Art Carpenter's SAS Software Series. As an Advanced SAS Certified Professional, Art has presented more than a hundred papers, posters, and workshops at SAS Global Forum, SAS Users Group International (SUGI) conferences, and various SAS regional conferences. Art has received several best-contributed-paper awards, and he has served in a variety of leadership roles for local, regional, national, and international users groups, including conference chair and executive board member of the SAS Global Users Group.

Review

Art Carpenter has been hard at work since his first edition was published in 1998. He has added enough new material to double the size of his original work. Many more complex ideas of macro usage are illustrated here, with diverse topics brought together and discussed as whole concepts. I would recommend this book to beginners as well as advanced programmers who wish to be proficient in their usage of the simple yet powerful SAS macro language. --Ronald Fehd, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Art has once again written a fantastic SAS book. It is very complete in its coverage of the macro language, covering everything from the basics to advanced topics. It makes an excellent reference book with its clear layout. I would highly recommend it particularly to experienced SAS programmers who want a complete macro reference which extends to cover advanced topics. I wrote the "Advanced Macro Programming" course for SAS UK, and this would make a perfect companion to that course. In short, it's a fantastic book and contains plenty of new material compared to his first. It will surely pay for itself in no time. --Philip Mason, Wood Street Consultants

Having used SAS for 25 plus years, I can honestly say I am always amazed at what I learn from reading SAS Press titles and the little things I may have overlooked or forgotten. Art did an excellent job writing this book with plenty of good examples and well-documented bullets and callouts of each step within his examples. He has also included a number of good macros that could be used by any SAS developer and incorporate them into their library of tools. This is a must-have book for the serious SAS developer who wishes to use and learn the SAS macro language. --Charles Patridge, The Hartford Financial Service

Edition details

• Publisher: SAS Institute
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1629592684
• ISBN 13: 9781629592688
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 540