A SAS data view is a type of SAS data set that retrieves data values from other files. A SAS data view contains only descriptor information such as the data types and lengths of the variables ( columns ), plus information that is required for retrieving data values from other SAS data sets or from files that are stored in other software vendors ' file formats. SAS data views are of member type VIEW. In most cases, you can use a SAS data view as though it were a SAS data file.
There are two general types of SAS data views:
native view | is a SAS data view that is created either with a DATA step or with PROC SQL. | |||
interface view |
Note | You can create native views that access certain DBMS data by using a SAS/ACCESS dynamic LIBNAME engine. See "SAS/ACCESS Views" on page 548, or the SAS/ACCESS documentation for your DBMS for more information. |