Debugging SAS Programs: A Handbook of Tools and Techniques

Crack SAS coding problems quickly! Discover how SAS identifies problems; what the SAS log really means; and how to approach DATA step, PROC, and SAS macro problems. This "go-to" guide helps you solve the most common problems that occur in the SAS DATA step, Base SAS procedures, and SAS macro code. It covers a broad range of programming problems, from syntax errors to complex logic errors, and includes a quick reference of error messages. The numerous examples will help you understand and eliminate these errors--and identify ways to avoid them from the start. Topics include how to read the SAS log; how to interpret error, note, and warning messages; and how to solve problems that might occur in the DATA step, Base SAS PROC steps, and SAS macros.

Michele Burlew has done an excellent job on a topic that is not well publicized: how to debug a SAS program. It is obvious Michele has spent considerable time writing this book, supplying examples of SAS programs with errors, error messages, and solutions to errors. --Charles Patridge, The Hartford

I especially like the chapter at the back of the book where you can look up obscure messages and see what the likely causes are--very usable stuff. --Philip Mason