M

maximize

in a graphical user interface, to cause a resizable window to instantly be displayed at its largest size , usually by clicking on (or otherwise selecting) an icon or on the maximize button of an active window.

megabyte

2 to the 20th power, or 1,048,576 (approximately 1 million) bytes. See also gigabyte, kilobyte, terabyte.

member

a SAS file in a SAS library.

member name

a name that is assigned to a SAS file in a SAS library. Under Windows, the member name is the same as the filename for files that are stored in a SAS data library.

member type

a SAS name that identifies the type of information that is stored in a SAS file. Member types include ACCESS, AUDIT, DMBD, DATA, CATALOG, FDB, INDEX, ITEMSTOR, MDDB, PROGRAM, UTILITY, and VIEW.

memory-based library

a SAS library that is stored either in conventional memory or in extended server memory (rather than on a data storage device) for the duration of a SAS session or job. See also conventional memory, extended server memory.

menu bar

the primary list of items at the top of a window, which represent the actions or classes of actions that can be executed. Selecting an item executes an action, opens a pull-down menu, or opens a dialog box that requests additional information. See also pop-up menu, pull-down menu.

message area

the area of the status bar (at the bottom of the main SAS window) that displays messages from SAS.

minimize

in a graphical user interface, to click on the minimize button of an active window, causing the window to be replaced by an icon elsewhere on the desktop. The window can be restored to its former size, location, and active status by clicking on (or otherwise selecting) the icon.

Multiple Engine Architecture

a feature of SAS that enables it to access a variety of file formats through sets of instructions called engines. See also engine.

multitasking

the ability of an operating system to execute more than one application (or multiple instances of the same application) at the same time, using a single central processing unit. Individual tasks within the applications are scheduled so that the applications appear to be running at the same time and so that the applications do not interfere with each other. Almost all operating systems are capable of multitasking.