Dictionary

APPLETLOC= System Option

Specifies the location of Java applets

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Environment control: Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP = ENVFILES

Syntax

APPLETLOC= base-URL

Syntax Description

base-URL

specifies the address where the SAS Java applets are located. The maximum address length is 256 characters .

Details

The APPLETLOC= system option specifies the base location (typically a URL) of Java applets. These applets are typically accessed from an intranet server or a local CD-ROM.

Examples

Some examples of the base-URL are

"file://e:\java"
" http://server.abc.com/SAS/applets "

ARMAGENT= System Option

Specifies another vendor s ARM agent, which is an executable module that contains a vendor s implementation of the ARM API

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: System administration: Performance

Restriction: After you enable the ARM subsystem, you cannot specify a different ARM agent using ARMAGENT=.

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= PERFORMANCE

See: ARMAGENT= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

ARMAGENT= module

Syntax Description

module

is the name of the module that contains an ARM agent, which is a program module that contains a vendor s implementation of the ARM API.
Operating Environment Information: The maximum length for the module name is specific to your operating environment. For many operating environments, the maximum length is 32 characters. For the z/OS operating environment, see the SAS companion for the z/OS operating environment.
Default: none

Details

An ARM agent is an executable module that contains a vendor s implementation of the ARM API. The ARM agent is a set of executable routines that are called from an application. The ARM agent and SAS run concurrently. The SAS application passes transaction information to the ARM agent, which collects and manages the writing of the ARM records to the ARM log. SAS, as well as other vendors , provide an ARM agent.

By default, SAS uses the SAS ARM agent. Use ARMAGENT= to specify another vendor s ARM agent in order to monitor both the internal SAS processing transactions (using ARMSUBSYS=) as well as for user -defined transactions (using ARM macros).

ARMLOC= System Option

Specifies the location of the ARM log

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, System Options window

Category: System administration: Performance

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= PERFORMANCE

Syntax

ARMLOC= fileref | filename

Syntax Description

fileref

is a SAS name that is associated with the physical location of the ARM log. To assign a fileref, use the FILENAME statement.

filename

is the physical location of the log. Include the complete pathname and the filename. You can use either single or double quotation marks.
Default: Filename: ARMLOG.LOG
Restriction: For all operating environments except z/OS, if you specify the ARMLOC= system option in your configuration file, you must specify the filename, not a fileref.

Details

The ARM log is an external output text file that contains the logged ARM transaction records. The ARM log gathers transaction information for both the internal SAS processing transactions (depending on the value of the ARMSUBSYS= system option) as well as for user-defined transactions (using ARM macros).

You can change the location of the ARM log after initializing an ARM subsystem, but records that were written to the old ARM log are not copied to the new ARM log. Therefore, you should issue ARMLOC= before issuing the first ARMSUBSYS= so that all records are written to the same ARM log.

ARMSUBSYS= System Option

Enables and disables the ARM subsystems that determine the internal SAS processing transactions to be logged

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: System administration: Performance

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= PERFORMANCE

Restriction: After you enable the ARM subsystems, you cannot specify a different ARM agent using ARMAGENT=.

Default: (ARM_NONE)

Syntax

ARMSUBSYS=(ARM_NONE | ARM_ALL | subsystem1 < item1 < item2 <...> > > <,

subsystem2 < item1 < item2 <...> > > ><OFF>)

Syntax Description

ARM_NONE

specifies that no internal SAS processing transactions are written to the ARM log. This is the default setting.

ARM_ALL

specifies that all available internal SAS processing transactions are written to the ARM log.

subsystem

specifies an ARM subsystem, which is a group of internal SAS processing transactions that are to be written to the ARM log. The available subsystems are
ARM_DSIO
- collects SAS data set I/O processing information.

ARM_IOM
- collects IOM Server processing information.

ARM_PROC
- collects SAS procedure and DATA step processing information.

ARM_OLAP_SESSION
- collects SAS OLAP Server session information.

item

specifies a name that determines the type and amount of transaction logging for each subsystem. Use the item specification(s) as a filtering technique so that only the details that you are interested in are logged. For example, if you want only one type of transaction, list the single item, or if you want multiple transactions for a subsystem, list each item that you want. Items are associated with each subsystem as follows :
ARM_DSIO
- OPENCLOSE
  - logs a SAS data set open and close transaction as a start record when a data set is opened and a stop record when it is closed.
- VARDEF
  - logs OPENCLOSE records and an update record for each defined variable (output opens).
- VARSEL
  - logs OPENCLOSE records and an update record for each selected variable (input and update opens).
- VARINFO
  - logs OPENCLOSE, VARDEF, and VARSEL records.
- WHEREOPT
  - logs OPENCLOSE records and an update record for each index that is selected as a result of WHERE processing optimization. This update is available for the default Base SAS engine and the V6 compatibility engine only.
- WHEREINFO
  - logs OPENCLOSE, WHEREOPT, and WHERETXT records.
- WHERETXT
  - logs OPENCLOSE records and one or more update records that contain a textual representation of the active WHERE expression. Each record can hold approximately 1,000 bytes.
- MIN
  - logs the minimum amount of information. For SAS Version 9, MIN logs the OPENCLOSE records.
- MAX
  - logs the maximum amount of information. For SAS Version 9, MAX logs all of the ARM_DSIO records. This is the default for ARM_DSIO.
- LEVEL1
  - logs OPENCLOSE, VARDEF, and VARSEL records.
- LEVEL2
  - logs LEVEL1, WHEREOPT, and WHERETXT records.
- For more information about the logged records, see Understanding the Records Written by the ARM_DSIO Subsystem on page 1462.

ARM_IOM
- logs records for IOM server methods to monitor performance of IOM servers. For more information about the logged records, see Understanding the Records Written by the ARM_IOM Subsystem on page 1464.

ARM_PROC
- logs PROC and DATA step execution time (that is, when the step begins and when it terminates) as a start and a stop record. For more information about the logged records, see Understanding the Records Written by the ARM_PROC Subsystem on page 1468.

ARM_OLAP_SESSION
- OLAP_SESSION
  - logs initialization and termination records in order to tell you which server was used and for how long. This is the default transaction for the ARM_OLAP_SESSION subsystem.
- MDX_QUERY
  - logs a record for each query sent. This transaction stores the cube name and the size of the result set in cells , which are additional identifiers or metrics.
- DATA_QUERY
  - logs a record for each region execution, that is, each individual data retrieval from stored cube aggregations or from the cache. The transaction class stores the following additional identifiers or metrics:
    - region ID
    - aggregate ID
    - number of returned records
    - source type (MOLAP, CSAS, CACHE, CSPDS)
  - The DATA_QUERY transaction serves as the primary input for both automatic and manual cube optimization.
- MDX_STRING
  - logs a record for the MDX_QUERY transaction that contains the actual MDX query string.
- For more Information about the logged records, see Understanding the Records Written by the ARM_OLAP_SESSION Subsystem on page 1468.

OFF

disables the specified subsystem. For example, in the following code, all subsystems are enabled for the DATA step, and then the ARM_PROC subsystem is disabled for the PRINT procedure:
```
options armsubsys=(arm_all);  data a;     x=1;  run;  options armsubsys=(arm_proc off);  proc print;  run; 
```

Details

Overview of ARM Subsystems The ARMSUBSYS= system option enables and disables the ARM subsystems, which determine the internal SAS transaction processing for which you want to monitor. An ARM subsystem is a group of internal SAS processing transactions such as DATA and PROC step processing and file input/output processing.

If you want to specify a different ARM log location by using the ARMLOC= system option, be sure to issue ARMLOC= before you enable an ARM subsystem so that the subsystem initialization record is written to the new log.

Note: There is a subsystem for collecting memory usage information. For more information about that subsystem, contact SAS Technical Support.

Understanding the Records Written by the ARM_DSIO Subsystem The ARM_DSIO subsystem writes records to the ARM log that collects SAS data set input/output processing information. These are the records that are written to the ARM log:

I (initialization) record

is an initialization record, with one record written per session when the ARM subsystem is initialized . It starts with an I, followed by these items:
- the SAS datetime value for session start
- an application ID
- a user start time
- a system start time
- an application name
- a user ID.

Output:

I,1326479452.427000,1,1.171684,1.532203,SAS,sasabc

G (GetID) record

is a transaction ID record, with one record written per transaction. It starts with a G, followed by these items:
- the SAS datetime value when the record was written
- an application ID from the I record
- a transaction class ID
- a transaction name
- a transaction description
- a description of the values provided in subsequent S (start) and P (stop) records.

Output:

G,1326479452.447000,1,1,MVA_DSIO.OPEN_CLOSE,DATA SET OPEN/CLOSE,     LIBNAME,ShortStr,MEMTYPE,ShortStr,MEMNAME,LongStr

LIBNAME refers to the libref for a SAS data library, MEMTYPE refers to the member type (either DATA or VIEW), and MEMNAME refers to a SAS data set name.

S (start) record

is a start record, with one record written each time a file is opened. It starts with an S, followed by these items:
- the SAS datetime value when the record was written
- an application ID from the I record
- a transaction class ID from the G record
- a transaction ID
- a user start time
- a system start time
- the actual libref, member type, and member name of the opened file.

Output:

S,1326479486.396000,1,1,1,1.311886,2.22908,WORK  ,DATA  ,GRADES

P (stop) record

is a stop record, with one record written each time a file is closed. It starts with a P, followed by these items:
- the SAS datetime value when the record was written
- an application ID from the I record
- a transaction class ID from the G record
- a transaction ID from the associated S record
- a user start time
- a system start time
- the actual libref, member type, and member name of the closed file.

Output:

P,1326479486.706000,1,1,1,1.331915,2.22908,0,WORK  ,DATA  ,GRADES

U (update) record

is an update record, with one record written each time a variable is defined or selected, and each time an index is used during WHERE processing optimization. A U record displays the text of a WHERE expression. It starts with a U, followed by these items:
- the SAS datetime value when the record was written
- an application ID from the I record
- a transaction class ID from the G record
- a transaction ID from the associated S record
- a user start time
- a system start time
- the detailed information for the type of U record being written.

For variable definition and selection, the variable type is specified with a 1 for a numeric variable or a 2 for a character variable, then the name of the variable, followed by DEF for definition or SEL for selection:

Output:

U,1326479486.406000,1,1,1,1.321900,2.22908,2,VAR(2,Student),DEF  U,1326479508.508000,1,1,2,1.612318,2.443513,2,VAR(2,Student),SEL

For index selection, the index type is specified with an S for simple or a C for complex, followed by the name of the index:
```
U,1326479606.48000,1,1,4,2.403456,3.915630,2,INDEX(S,Test1),SEL 
```
For WHERE expression text information, the expression is specified
```
U,1326479606.48000,1,1,4,2.403456,3.915630,2,WHERE(0),test1>60 
```

E (end) record

is an end record, with one record written per session. It starts with an E, followed by these items:
- the SAS datetime value when the record was written
- an application ID from the I record
- a user stop time
- a system stop time.

Output:
```
E,1326480210.737000,1,2.533643,4.25788 
```

Understanding the Records Written by the ARM_IOM Subsystem The ARM_IOM subsystem writes records to the ARM log that collects IOM server method processing information. These records are written to the ARM log:

I (initialization) record

is an initialization record, with one record written per session when the ARM subsystem is initialized. It starts with an I, followed by these items:
- the SAS datetime value for session start
- an application ID
- a user start time
- a system start time
- an application name
- a user ID.

Output:

I,1327874323.742000,1,0.220316,0.320460,SAS,sasxxx

G (GetID) record

is a transaction ID record, with one record written for each method and attribute and one record written for creating the correlator. It starts with a G, followed by
- the SAS datetime value when the record was written
- an application ID from the I record
- a transaction class ID
- method and attribute transaction names .

Method and attribute transactions are named component name::method/attribute name , or, if the interface and component names are not the same, component name::interface name::method/attribute name :
```
G,1327874341.77000,1,2,TestTypes::SetParent, 
```

S (start) record

is a start record, with one record written at the beginning of each method or attribute. If a correlator is available, it is placed on the transaction. (The correlator is created by a separate start transaction on the transaction defined for that purpose.) The record starts with an S, followed by these items:
- the SAS datetime value when the record was written
- an application ID
- a transaction class ID
- a transaction ID
- a user start time, and
- a system start time.

Output:

S,1327874344.1000,1,1,1,0.620892,0.741065

P (stop) record

is a stop record, with one record written at the end of each method or attribute. It starts with a P, followed by these items:
- the SAS datetime value when the record was written
- an application ID
- a transaction class ID
- a transaction ID from the associated S record
- a user start time
- a system start time.

Output:

P,1327874348.658000,1,9,2,0.620892,0.741065,0

Here is an ARM log for the ARM_IOM subsystem:

Output 8.4: ARM Log for ARM_IOM Subsystem

I,1327874323.742000,1,0.220316,0.320460,SAS,sasmaa  G,1327874328.28000,1,1,IOMCOMPETrans,Transaction for creating correlator  G,1327874341.77000,1,2,TestTypes::SetParent,  G,1327874341.77000,1,3,TestTypes::TypeBoolean,  G,1327874341.77000,1,4,TestTypes::TypeDateTime,  G,1327874341.77000,1,5,TestTypes::TypeDouble,  G,1327874341.77000,1,6,TestTypes::TypeEnum,  G,1327874341.77000,1,7,TestTypes::TypeFloat,  G,1327874341.77000,1,8,TestTypes::TypeInterface,  G,1327874341.77000,1,9,TestTypes::TypeLong,  G,1327874341.77000,1,10,TestTypes::TypeOctet,  G,1327874341.77000,1,11,TestTypes::TypeShort,  G,1327874341.77000,1,12,TestTypes::TypeString,  G,1327874341.77000,1,13,TestTypes::TypeUUID,  G,1327874341.77000,1,14,TestTypes::TypeAny,  G,1327874341.77000,1,15,TestTypes::TypeBoolean1dArray,  G,1327874341.77000,1,16,TestTypes::TypeDateTime1dArray,  G,1327874341.77000,1,17,TestTypes::TypeDouble1dArray,  G,1327874341.77000,1,18,TestTypes::TypeEnum1dArray,  G,1327874341.77000,1,19,TestTypes::TypeFloat1dArray,  G,1327874341.77000,1,20,TestTypes::TypeLong1dArray,  G,1327874341.77000,1,21,TestTypes::TypeOctet1dArray,  G,1327874341.77000,1,22,TestTypes::TypeShort1dArray,  G,1327874341.87000,1,23,TestTypes::TypeString1dArray,  G,1327874341.87000,1,24,TestTypes::TypeUUID1dArray,  G,1327874341.87000,1,25,TestTypes::TypeAny1dArray,  G,1327874341.87000,1,26,TestTypes::TypeBoolean2dArray,  G,1327874341.87000,1,27,TestTypes::TypeDateTime2dArray,  G,1327874341.87000,1,28,TestTypes::TypeDouble2dArray,  G,1327874341.87000,1,29,TestTypes::TypeEnum2dArray,  G,1327874341.87000,1,30,TestTypes::TypeFloat2dArray,  G,1327874341.87000,1,31,TestTypes::TypeLong2dArray,  G,1327874341.87000,1,32,TestTypes::TypeOctet2dArray,  G,1327874341.87000,1,33,TestTypes::TypeShort2dArray,  G,1327874341.87000,1,34,TestTypes::TypeString2dArray,  G,1327874341.87000,1,35,TestTypes::TypeUUID2dArray,  G,1327874341.87000,1,36,TestTypes::TypeAny2dArray,  G,1327874341.87000,1,37,TestTypes TestMult Name Get,  G,1327874341.87000,1,38,TestTypes::ExceptionTest,  G,1327874341.87000,1,39,TestTypes::ExceptionTestAttr Get,  G,1327874341.87000,1,40,TestTypes::ExceptionTestAttr Set,  G,1327874341.87000,1,41,TestTypes::ServerAdmin::ServerAdminStart,  G,1327874341.87000,1,42,TestTypes::ServerAdmin::ServerAdminStop,  G,1327874341.87000,1,43,TestTypes::ServerAdmin::ServerAdminDeferredStop,  G,1327874341.87000,1,44,TestTypes::ServerAdmin::ServerAdminPause,  G,1327874341.87000,1,45,TestTypes::ServerAdmin::ServerAdminContinue,  G,1327874341.87000,1,46,TestTypes::ServerAdmin::ServerAdminUniqueID Get,  G,1327874341.87000,1,47,TestTypes::ServerAdmin::ServerAdminName Get,  G,1327874341.87000,1,48,TestTypes::ServerAdmin::ServerAdminName Set,  G,1327874341.87000,1,49,TestTypes::ServerAdmin::ResetServerPerformance,  G,1327874341.87000,1,50,TestTypes::ServerAdmin::GetServerPerformance,  G,1327874341.87000,1,51,TestTypes::ServerAdmin::GetServerPerformanceByCLSID,  G,1327874341.87000,1,52,TestTypes::ServerAdmin::GetServerPerformanceByUserID,  G,1327874341.87000,1,53,TestTypes::ServerAdmin::JnlAccess,  G,1327874341.87000,1,54,TestTypes::CreateSession,  G,1327874341.87000,1,55,TestTypes::RemoveChild,  G,1327874341.87000,1,56,TestTypes::SeveralTypes,  G,1327874341.87000,1,57,TestTypes::Several1dArrays,  G,1327874341.87000,1,58,TestTypes::Several2dArrays,  G,1327874341.87000,1,59,TestTypes::FireEvents,  S,1327874344.1000,1,1,1,0.620892,0.741065  C,1327874348.658000,1,9,2,1,1,0.620892,0.741065  P,1327874348.658000,1,9,2,0.620892,0.741065,0  P,1327874348.658000,1,1,1,0.620892,0.741065,0  S,1327874348.688000,1,1,3,0.620892,0.741065  C,1327874348.688000,1,3,4,1,3,0.620892,0.741065  P,1327874348.688000,1,3,4,0.620892,0.741065,0  P,1327874348.688000,1,1,3,0.620892,0.741065,0

Understanding the Records Written by the ARM_PROC Subsystem The ARM_PROC subsystem writes records to the ARM log that collects SAS procedure and DATA step processing information. These are the records written to the ARM log:

S (start) record

is a start record, with one record written immediately before the procedure starts execution. It starts with an S, followed by these items:
- the SAS datetime value when the record was written
- an application ID
- a transaction class ID
- a transaction ID
- a user start time
- a system start time
- the procedure or DATA step name.

Output:

S,1323716628.571000,1,1,2,2.834075,8.482196,PRINT

P (stop) record

is a stop record, with one record written when the procedure terminates. It starts with a P, followed by these items:
- the SAS datetime value when the record was written
- an application ID
- a transaction class ID
- a transaction ID from the associated S record
- a user start time
- a system start time.

Output:

P,1323716633.398000,1,1,2,2.944233,8.772614,0

Understanding the Records Written by the ARM_OLAP_SESSION Subsystem The ARM_OLAP_SESSION subsystem writes records to the ARM log that collects information about a SAS OLAP Server session. A SAS OLAP Server is started as a system process, waiting for clients to connect to it. Each client connection establishes a session on the server. Each session can then serve MDX queries . Each MDX query is typically split into one or more regions , which translate calls against the cube s data, the data queries .

These records are written for the ARM_OLAP_SESSION subsystem. The initialization and termination records give you summary information on each SAS OLAP Server invocation:

I (initialization) record

is an initialization record, with one record written per OLAP Server invocation when the ARM subsystem is initialized. It starts with an I, followed by these items:
- the SAS datetime value of server start
- an application ID
- a user CPU (start) time
- a system CPU (start) time
- an application name OLAP_SERVER.

Output:

I,1320592800.822000,2,0.380547,0.630907,OLAP_SERVER,

E (end) record

is a termination record, with one record written per OLAP Server termination. It starts with an E, followed by these items:
- the SAS datetime value of the server termination
- an application ID from the I record
- a user CPU (stop) time
- a system CPU (stop) time.

Output:

E,1320592802.805000,2,1.281843,0.791137

The E records are written for the OLAP_SESSION transaction, which records each session that is started by a client connection. The E records provide the user ID of the client user that started the session:

G (GetID) record

is an OLAP_SESSION transaction record, with one record written per OLAP Server invocation. It starts with a G, followed by these items:
- the SAS datetime value when the record was written
- an application ID from the I record
- a transaction class ID
- a transaction class name OLAP_SESSION
- a transaction class description OLAP Session
- a description of the values that are provided in subsequent S (start) and P (stop) records.

Output:

G,1337615817.801000,2,1,OLAP_SESSION,OLAP Session,User Name,LongStr

User Name is the ID of the client user that started the session.

S (start) record

is a start record, with one record written for each session. It starts with an S, followed by these items:
- the SAS datetime value when the session started
- an application ID from the I record
- a transaction class ID from the G record
- a transaction ID
- a user CPU (start) time
- a system CPU (start) time
- the user ID of the client user, if available.

Output:

S,1337615818.502000,2,1,2,2.52952,0.901296,sasabc

P (stop) record

is a stop record, with one record written for each session. It starts with a P, followed by these items:
- the SAS datetime value when the session ended
- an application ID from the I record
- a transaction class ID from the G record
- a transaction ID from the associated S record
- a user CPU (stop) time
- a system CPU (stop) time
- the status 0=OK.

Output:

P,1337615819.383000,2,1,2,2.113038,0.931339,0

U (update) record

is an update record, with one record written for each hierarchy for each cube. The "U" record for the OLAP_SESSION transaction is only written when the DATA_QUERY transaction is used. It starts with a U, followed by these items:
- the SAS datetime value when the record was written
- an application ID from the I record
- a transaction class ID from the G record
- a transaction ID from the S record
- a user CPU time
- a system CPU time
- a buffer type (always 2, which indicates that 1,024 bytes of text will follow)
- a string with the following format:
  - char(32) cube name
  - char(4) hierarchy number ”used to refer to the hierarchy later in the DATA_QUERY update records that identify regions and aggregations
  - char(32) hierarchy name
  - char(4) number of hierarchy levels.
- Output:
```
U,1355324046.943000,2,1,2,1.625000,2.15625,2,SALES  1CUSTOMER 4  U,1355324046.943000,2,1,2,1.625000,2.15625,2,SALES  2PRODUCT  5  U,1355324046.943000,2,1,2,1.625000,2.15625,2,SALES  3TIME     4 
```

These records are written for the MDX_QUERY transaction, which records each query that is sent. These records provide the cube name and the size of the result set in cells:

G (GetID) record

is an MDX_QUERY transaction record, with one record written per OLAP server invocation. It starts with a G, followed by these items:
- the SAS datetime value when the record was written
- an application ID from the I record
- a transaction class ID
- a transaction name MDX_QUERY
- a transaction description MDX Query
- a description of the values that are provided in subsequent S or C (start) and P (stop) records.

Output:

G,1320594857.747000,3,2,MDX_QUERY,MDX Query,Result Set Size,Gauge32,     Cube Name,LongStr

Result Set Size refers to the size of the returned query in cells and Cube Name is the name of the cube being queried.

S or C (start) record

is a start record, with one record written for each query. It starts with an S, followed by these items:
- the SAS datetime value when the query started
- the application ID from the I record
- the transaction class ID from the G record
- a transaction ID
- the user CPU (start) time
- the system CPU (start) time.

Output:

S,1320594857.787000,3,2,2,1.341929,0.731051

If the OLAP_SESSION level was also requested , then the MDX_QUERY record is correlated to its parent session record, and starts with a C, followed by these items:
- the SAS datetime value when the query started
- an application ID from the I record
- a transaction class ID from the G record
- a transaction ID
- the parent transaction class ID
- the parent transaction ID
- a user CPU (start) time
- a system CPU (start) time.

Output:

C,1320594857.787000,3,2,2,1,2,1.341929,0.731051

P (stop) record

is a stop record, with one record written for each query. It starts with a P, followed by these items:
- the SAS datetime value when the query ended
- an application ID from the I record
- a transaction class ID from the G record
- a transaction ID from the associated S or C record
- a user CPU (stop) time
- a system CPU (stop) time
- a status (0=OK, 2=query failed)
- the size of the returned query in cells
- the name of the cube that was queried.

Output:

P,1320594858.948000,3,2,2,2.52952,0.781123,0,5,MDDBCARS

These records are written for the DATA_QUERY transaction, which records each region execution, that is, each individual data retrieval from stored cube aggregations or from the cache. These records provide region IDs, aggregate IDs, the number of returned records, the source type, and the thread index. The DATA_QUERY transaction is the primary input for both automatic and manual cube optimization.

G (GetID) record

is a DATA_QUERY transaction identifier record, with one record written per session. It starts with a G, followed by these items:
- the SAS datetime value when the record was written
- the application ID from the I record
- a transaction class ID
- the transaction name DATA_QUERY
- the transaction description Plugin Call
- a description of the values that are provided in subsequent S or C (start) and P (stop) records. They are
  - Query Aggregate
  - Source Aggregate
  - Result Set Size
  - Source Type
  - Thread Index
  - Cube Name.

Output:

G,1359310645.798000,2,4,DATA_QUERY,Plugin Call,Query Aggregate,Id32,Source     Aggregate,Id32,Result Set Size,Gauge32,Source Type,Id32,Thread Index,     Gauge32,Cube Name,LongStr

S or C (start subquery) record

is a start subquery record, with one record written for each data access. It starts with an S, followed by these items:
- the SAS datetime value when the subquery started
- the application ID from the I record
- the transaction class ID from the G record
- a transaction ID
- the CPU (start) time
- the system CPU (start) time.

Output:

S,1320596204.653000,2,2,2,1.51512,0.630907

If the MDX_QUERY level was also requested, then the DATA_QUERY record is correlated to its parent MDX query record, and starts with a C, followed by these items:
- the SAS datetime value when the subquery started
- the application ID from the I record
- the transaction class ID from the G record
- a transaction ID
- the parent transaction class ID
- the parent transaction ID
- the user CPU (start) time
- the system CPU (start) time.

Output:

C,1320596204.653000,2,2,2,1,1,1.51512,0.630907

P (stop subquery) record

is a stop subquery record, with one record written for each data access. It starts with a P, followed by these items:
- the SAS datetime value when the subquery ended
- the application ID from the I record
- the transaction class ID from the G record
- the transaction ID from the S or C record
- the user CPU (stop) time
- the system CPU (stop) time
- a status (0=OK, 2=subquery failed)
- a region sequential number (per Update record)
- an aggregation sequential number (per Update record)
- the size of returned query in records
- the plug-in type (0=CSPDS, 1=CSAS, 2=CACHE, 3=MOLAP)
- the thread index
- the cube name.

Output:

P,1320596205.485000,2,2,2,1.181699,0.670964,0,1,31,5,0,0,SALES

U (update) record

is an update record that is written for each new region and stored aggregation.

It starts with a U, followed by these items:
- the SAS datetime value when the record was written
- an application ID from the I record
- a transaction class ID from the G record
- a transaction ID from the S record
- a user CPU time
- a system CPU time
- a buffer type (always 2, which indicates that 1,024 bytes of text will follow)
- a string with the following format:
  - char(32) cube name
  - char(16) unique sequential number, used in the DATA_QUERY Stop record to identify region or aggregation
  - char(4) number of hierarchies in the region or aggregation repeated for each hierarchy in the region or aggregate:
  - char(4) hierarchy number (per OLAP_SESSION Update record)
  - char(4) hierarchy level

Output:

U,1355324092.960000,2,3,61,6.93750,5.734375,2,SALES  4 1 1 1

This record is written for the MDX_STRING transaction, which writes an additional record for the MDX_QUERY transaction. The record contains the actual MDX query string.

U (update) record

is an update record, with one record written for each query. It starts with a U, followed by these items:
- the SAS datetime value when the record was written
- an application ID from the I record
- a transaction class ID from the G record
- a transaction ID from the S record
- a user CPU time
- a system CPU time
- a buffer type (always 2, which indicates that 1,024 bytes of text will follow)
- the actual MDX string.

Output:

U,1320589796.262000,2,1,1,0.670964,2,SELECT {[DATE].[DATEH].[ALL DATE].  CHILDREN} ON COLUMNS, {[MEASURES].[MEASURES].[SALES_SUM]}  ON ROWS FROM MDDBCARS

Examples

The following example shows the ARM subsystem ARM_DSIO, which collects SAS data set I/O processing information. The OPENCLOSE item logs the SAS data set open and close transaction.

options armloc='myarmlog.txt' armsubsys=(ARM_DSIO OPENCLOSE);

The following example shows the ARM subsystem ARM_ALL, which specifies that all available internal SAS processing transactions are written to the ARM log.

options     armagent=sasarmmg     armsubsys=arm_all     armloc=mylog;

ASYNCHIO System Option

Specifies whether asynchronous I/O is enabled

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Files: SAS Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= SASFILES

Syntax

ASYNCHIO | NOASYNCHIO

Syntax Description

ASYNCHIO

allows other logical SAS tasks to execute (if any are ready) while the I/O is being done. This might improve system performance.

NOASYNCHIO

causes data set I/O to wait for completion. This is the default.

AUTHPROVIDERDOMAIN= System Option

Associates a domain suffix with an authentication provider

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Alias: AUTHPD

Category: Environment control: Initialization and operation

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= EXECMODES

Syntax

AUTHPROVIDERDOMAIN= ( provider “1 : domain “1 <, provider-n : domain-n >)

Syntax Description

provider

specifies the authentication provider that is associated with a domain. These are valid values for provider :

ADIR	specifies that the authentication provider be a Microsoft Active Directory that accepts a bind containing user names and passwords for authentication.
HOSTUSER	specifies that user names and passwords be authenticated by using the authentication processing that is provided by the host operating system.
	Operating Environment Information: Under the Windows operating environment, assigning the authentication provider using the HOSTUSER domain is the same as assigning the authentication provider using the AUTHSERVER system option. You might want to use the AUTHPROVIDERDOMAIN= system option when you specify multiple authentication providers.
LDAP	specifies that the authentication provider use a directory server to specify the bind distinguished name (BINDDN) and a password for authentication.

domain

specifies a site-specific domain name. Quotation marks are required if the domain value contains blanks.

Details

SAS is able to provide authentication of a user through the use of many authentication providers. The AUTHPROVIDERDOMAIN= system option associates a domain suffix with an authentication provider. This association enables the SAS server to choose the authentication provider by the domain name that is presented.

The maximum length for the AUTHPROVIDERDOMAIN option value is 1,024 characters.

To use the Microsoft Active Directory or LDAP authentication providers, these environment variables must be set in the server or spawner startup script:

Microsoft Active Directory Server:

AD_PORT= Microsoft Active Directory port number
AD_HOST= Microsoft Active Directory host name

LDAP Server:

LDAP_PORT= LDAP port number
LDAP_BASE= base distinguished name
LDAP_HOST= LDAP host_name

LDAP Server for users connecting with a user ID instead of a distinguished name (DN):

LDAP_PRIV_DN= privileged DN that is allowed to search for users
LDAP_PRIV_PW= LDAP_PRIV_DN password
Note: If the LDAP server allows anonymous binds, then LDAP_PRIV_DN and LDAP_PRIV_PW are not required.

In addition to setting these environment variables, you can set the LDAP_IDATTR environment variable to the name of the person-entry LDAP attribute that stores the user ID if the attribute does not contain the default value of uid .

Examples

The following examples show you how to specify the AUTHPROVIDERDOMAIN option:

authproviderdomain=(ldap:domain1)
authproviderdomain=(ldap: my domain )
authpd=(hostuser: my domain , ldap:domain1)

AUTOSAVELOC= System Option

Specifies the location of the Program Editor autosave file

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Environment control: Display

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ENVDISPLAY

Syntax

AUTOSAVELOC= destination

Syntax Description

destination

specifies the pathname of the autosave file. If destination contains spaces or is specified in an OPTIONS statement, then enclose destination in quotation marks.

BATCH System Option

Specifies whether batch settings for LINESIZE, OVP, PAGESIZE, and SOURCE are in effect when SAS executes

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Environment control: Initialization and operation

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= EXECMODES

See: BATCH System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

BATCH | NOBATCH

Syntax Description

BATCH

specifies that SAS use the batch settings of LINESIZE=, OVP, PAGESIZE=, and SOURCE. At the start of an interactive SAS session, you can use the BATCH setting to simulate the behavior of the system in batch mode.

NOBATCH

specifies that SAS not use the batch settings for LINESIZE=, OVP, PAGESIZE=, and SOURCE. While in batch mode, you can specify NOBATCH to use the default (nonbatch) settings for the options LINESIZE=, OVP, PAGESIZE=, and SOURCE.

Details

The setting of the BATCH option does not specify the method of operation. BATCH only sets the appropriate batch settings for a collection of options that are in effect when SAS executes.

Operating Environment Information: The default setting for BATCH depends on your operating environment and the SAS method of operation.

BINDING= System Option

Specifies the binding edge to a printer

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: ODS printing

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ODSPRINT

Syntax

BINDING=DEFAULTEDGE | LONGEDGE | SHORTEDGE

Syntax Description

DEFAULT | DEFAULTEDGE

specifies that duplexing is done using the default binding edge.

LONG | LONGEDGE

specifies the long edge as the binding edge for duplexed output.

SHORT | SHORTEDGE

specifies the short edge as the binding edge for duplexed output.

Details

The binding edge setting determines how the paper is oriented before output is printed on the second side.

Operating Environment Information: Most SAS system options are initialized with default settings when SAS is invoked. However, the default settings and/or option values for some SAS system options may vary both by operating environment and by site. For details, see the SAS documentation for your operating environment.

For additional information on declaring an ODS printer destination, see ODS statements in SAS Output Delivery System: User s Guide .

For additional information on the SAS universal print facility, see Printing with SAS in SAS Language Reference: Concepts .

BOTTOMMARGIN= System Option

Specifies to a printer the size of the margin at the bottom of the page

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: ODS printing

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ODSPRINT

Syntax

BOTTOMMARGIN= margin-size | margin-size [margin-unit]

Syntax Description

margin-size

specifies the size of the margin.
Restriction: The bottom margin should be small enough so that the top margin plus the bottom margin is less than the height of the paper.
Interactions: Changing the value of this option may result in changes to the value of the PAGESIZE= system option.

[margin-unit]

specifies the units for margin-size. The margin-unit can be in for inches or cm for centimeters.
Default: inches
Requirement: When you specify margin-unit, enclose the entire option value in double quotation marks.

Details

Note that all margins have a minimum that is dependent on the printer and the paper size.

For additional information on declaring an ODS printer destination see ODS statements in SAS Output Delivery System: User s Guide .

For additional information on the SAS universal print facility, see Printing with SAS in SAS Language Reference: Concepts .

BUFNO= System Option

Specifies the number of buffers to be allocated for processing SAS data sets

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Files: SAS Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= SASFILES

See: BUFNO= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

BUFNO= MIN | MAX | n | n K | n M | n G | n T | hex X

Syntax Description

MIN

sets the minimum number of buffers to 0, which causes SAS to use the minimum optimal value for the operating environment. This is the default.

MAX

sets the number of buffers to the maximum possible number in your operating environment, up to the largest four-byte, signed integer which is 2 ³¹ -1, or approximately 2 billion.
CAUTION:
- The recommended maximum for this option is 10.

n | n K | n M | n G | n T

specifies the number of buffers to be allocated in multiples of 1 (bytes); 1,024 (kilobytes); 1,048,576 (megabytes); 1,073,741,824 (gigabytes); or 1,099,511,627,776 (terabytes). For example, a value of 8 specifies 8 bytes, and a value of 3m specifies 3,145,728 bytes.

hex X

specifies the number of buffers as a hexadecimal value. You must specify the value beginning with a number (0 “9), followed by an X. For example, the value 2dx specifies 45 buffers.

Details

The number of buffers is not a permanent attribute of the data set; it is valid only for the current SAS session or job.

BUFNO= applies to SAS data sets that are opened for input, output, or update.

Using BUFNO= can improve execution time by limiting the number of input/output operations that are required for a particular SAS data set. The improvement in execution time, however, comes at the expense of increased memory consumption.

Operating Environment Information: The syntax that is shown here applies to the OPTIONS statement. On the command line or in a configuration file, the syntax is specific to your operating environment. For details, see the SAS documentation for your operating environment.

Comparisons

You can override the BUFNO= system option by using the BUFNO= data set option.
To request that SAS allocate the number of buffers based on the number of data set pages and index file pages, use the SASFILE statement.

BUFSIZE= System Option

Specifies the permanent buffer page size for output SAS data sets

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Files: SAS Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= SASFILES

See: BUFSIZE= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

BUFSIZE= n | n K | n M | n G | n T | hex X | MIN | MAX

Syntax Description

n | n K | n M | n G | n T

specifies the page size in multiples of 1 (bytes); 1,024 (kilobytes); 1,048,576 (megabytes); 1,073,741,824 (gigabytes); or 1,099,511,627,776 (terabytes). For example, a value of 8 specifies 8 bytes, and a value of 3m specifies 3,145,728 bytes.

The default is 0, which causes SAS to use the minimum optimal page size for the operating environment.

hex X

specifies the page size as a hexadecimal value. You must specify the value beginning with a number (0 “9), followed by an X. For example, the value 2dx sets the page size to 45 bytes.

MIN

sets the page size to the smallest possible number in your operating environment, down to the smallest four-byte, signed integer, which is -2 ³¹ -1, or approximately -2 billion bytes.
CAUTION:
- This setting might cause unexpected results and should be avoided. Use BUFSIZE=0 in order to reset the buffer page size to the default value in your operating environment.

MAX

sets the page size to the maximum possible number in your operating environment, up to the largest four-byte, signed integer, which is 2 ³¹ -1, or approximately 2 billion bytes.

Details

The page size is the amount of data that can be transferred from a single input/output operation to one buffer. The page size is a permanent attribute of the data set and is used when the data set is processed .

A larger page size can improve execution time by reducing the number of times SAS has to read from or write to the storage medium. However, the improvement in execution time comes at the expense of increased memory consumption.

To change the page size, use a DATA step to copy the data set and either specify a new page or use the SAS default.

Note: If you use the COPY procedure to copy a data set to another library that is allocated with a different engine, the specified page size of the data set is not retained.

Operating Environment Information: The default value for BUFSIZE= is determined by your operating environment and is set to optimize sequential access. To improve performance for direct (random) access, you should change the value for BUFSIZE=. For the default setting and possible settings for direct access, see the BUFSIZE= system option in the SAS documentation for your operating environment.

Comparisons

The BUFSIZE= system option can be overridden by the BUFSIZE= data set option.

BYERR System Option

Controls whether SAS generates an error message and sets the error flag when a _NULL_ data set is used in the SORT procedure

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Environment control: Error handling

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ERRORHANDLING

Syntax

BYERR | NOBYERR

Syntax Description

BYERR

specifies that SAS issue an error message and stop processing if the SORT procedure attempts to sort a _NULL_ data set or if no BY statement or BY variable is specified.

NOBYERR

specifies that SAS ignore the error message and continue processing if the SORT procedure attempts to sort a _NULL_ data set or if no BY statement or BY variable is specified.

Comparisons

The VNFERR system option sets the error flag for a missing variable when a _NULL_ data set is used. The DSNFERR system option controls how SAS responds when a SAS data set is not found.

BYLINE System Option

Controls whether BY lines are printed above each BY group

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: Procedure output

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LISTCONTROL

Syntax

BYLINE | NOBYLINE

Syntax Description

BYLINE

specifies that BY lines are printed above each BY group.

NOBYLINE

suppresses the automatic printing of BY lines.

Details

Use NOBYLINE to suppress the automatic printing of BY lines in procedure output. You can then use #BYVAL, #BYVAR, or #BYLINE to display BYLINE information in a TITLE statement.

These SAS procedures perform their own BY-line processing by displaying output for multiple BY groups on the same page:

MEANS
PRINT
STANDARD
SUMMARY
TTEST (in SAS/STAT software).

With these procedures, NOBYLINE causes a page eject between BY groups. For PROC PRINT, the page eject between BY groups has the same effect as specifying the right most BY variable on the PAGEBY statement.

BYSORTED System Option

Specifies whether observations in one or more data sets are sorted in alphabetic or numeric order or are grouped in another logical order

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Input control: Data Processing

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= INPUTCONTROL

Syntax

BYSORTED | NOBYSORTED

Syntax Description

BYSORTED

specifies that observations in a data set or data sets are sorted in alphabetic or numeric order.
CAUTION:
- If the BYSORTED system option and the NOTSORTED statement option on a BY statement are both specified, then the NOTSORTED option in the BY statement takes precedence over the BYSORTED system option.

Requirement: When you use the BYSORTED option, observations must be ordered or indexed according to the values of BY variables.
Tip: If BYSORTED is specified, then SAS assumes that the data set is ordered by the BY variable. BYSORTED should be used if the data set is ordered by the BY variable for better performance.

NOBYSORTED

specifies that observations with the same BY value are grouped together but are not necessarily sorted in alphabetic or numeric order.
Tip: When the NOBYSORTED option is specified, you do not have to specify NOTSORTED on every BY statement to access the data set(s).
Tip: NOBYSORTED is useful if you have data that falls into other logical groupings such as chronological order or linguistic order. This allows BY processing to continue without failure when a data set is not actually sorted in alphabetic or numeric order.
- Note: If a procedure ignores the NOTSORTED option in a BY statement, then it ignores the NOBYSORTED system option also.

Details

The requirement for ordering or indexing observations according to the values of BY variables is suspended for BY-group processing when you use the NOBYSORTED option. By default, BY-group processing requires that your data be sorted in alphabetic or numeric order. If your data is grouped in any other way but alphabetic or numeric, then you must use the NOBYSORTED option to allow BY-processing to continue without failure. For more information on BY-group processing, see BY-Group Processing in SAS Programs in SAS Language Reference: Concepts .

CAPS System Option

Indicates whether to translate input to uppercase

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Input control: Data Processing

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= INPUTCONTROL

Syntax

CAPS | NOCAPS

Syntax Description

CAPS

specifies that SAS translate lowercase characters to uppercase in these types of input:
- data following CARDS, CARDS4, DATALINES, DATALINES4, and PARMCARDS statements
- text enclosed in single or double quotation marks
- values in VALUE and INVALUE statements in the FORMAT procedure
- titles, footnotes, variable labels, and data set labels
- constant text in macro definitions
- values of macro variables
- parameter values passed to macros.

Note: Data read from external files and SAS data sets are not translated to uppercase.

NOCAPS

specifies that lowercase characters that occur in the types of input that are listed above are not translated to uppercase.

Comparisons

The CAPS system option and the CAPS command both specify whether input is converted to uppercase. The CAPS command, which is available in windows that allow text editing, can act as a toggle. The CAPS command converts all text that is entered from the keyboard to uppercase. If either the CAPS system option or the CAPS command is in effect, all applicable input is translated to uppercase.

CARDIMAGE System Option

Processes SAS source and data lines as 80-byte cards

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Input control: Data Processing

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= INPUTCONTROL

See: CARDIMAGE System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

CARDIMAGE | NOCARDIMAGE

Syntax Description

CARDIMAGE

specifies that SAS source and data lines be processed as if they were punched card images ”all exactly 80 bytes long and padded with blanks. That is, column 1 of a line is treated as if it immediately followed column 80 of the previous line. Therefore, tokens can be split across lines. (A token is a character or series of characters that SAS treats as a discrete word.)

Strings in quotation marks (literal tokens) that begin on one line and end on another are treated as if they contained blanks out to column 80 of the first line. Data lines longer than 80 bytes are split into two or more 80-byte lines. Data lines are not truncated regardless of their length.

NOCARDIMAGE

specifies that SAS source and data lines not be treated as if they were 80-byte card images. When NOCARDIMAGE is in effect, the end of a line is always treated as the end of the last token, except for strings in quotation marks. Strings in quotation marks can be split across lines. Other types of tokens cannot be split across lines under any circumstances. Strings in quotation marks that are split across lines are not padded with blanks.

Operating Environment Information: CARDIMAGE is generally used in the z/OS operating environment; NOCARDIMAGE is used in other operating environments.

Examples

Consider the following DATA step:

data;     x='A  B';  run;

If CARDIMAGE is in effect, the variable X receives a value that consists of 78 characters: the A, 76 blanks, and the B. If NOCARDIMAGE is in effect, the variable X receives a value that consists of two characters: AB, with no intervening blanks.

CATCACHE= System Option

Specifies the number of SAS catalogs to keep open

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Files: SAS Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= SASFILES

See: CATCACHE= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

CATCACHE= n | hex X | MIN | MAX |

Syntax Description

specifies any integer greater than or equal to 0 in terms of bytes. If n > 0, SAS places up to that number of open-file descriptors in cache memory instead of closing the catalogs.

hex X

specifies the number of open-file descriptors that are kept in cache memory as a hexadecimal number.
You must specify the value beginning with a number (0-9), followed by an X. For example, the value 2dx sets the number of catalogs to keep open to 45 catalogs.

MIN

sets the number of open-file descriptors that are kept in cache memory to 0.

MAX

sets the number of open-file descriptors that are kept in cache memory to the largest, signed, 4 “byte integer representable in your operating environment.
CAUTION:
- The recommended maximum setting for this option is 10.

Details

Use the CATCACHE= system option to tune an application by avoiding the overhead of repeatedly opening and closing the same SAS catalogs.

Operating Environment Information: Some system settings may affect the default setting. See the documentation for your operating system for more information.

CBUFNO= System Option

Controls the number of extra page buffers to allocate for each open SAS catalog

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Files: SAS Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= SASFILES

Syntax

CBUFNO= n | n K | n M | n G | n T | hex X | MIN | MAX

Syntax Description

n | n K | nM | nG | n T

specifies the number of extra page buffers in multiples of 1 (bytes); 1,024 (kilobytes); 1,048,576 (megabytes; 1,073,741,824 (gigabytes); or 1,099,511,627,776 (terabytes). For example, a value of 8 specifies 8 bytes, and a value of 3m specifies 3,145,728 bytes.

MIN

sets the number of extra page buffers to 0.

MAX

sets the number of extra page buffers to 20.

hex X

specifies the number of extra page buffers as a hexadecimal number. You must specify the value beginning with a number (0 “9), followed by an X. For example, the value 0ax sets the number of extra page buffers to 10 buffers.

Details

The CBUFNO= option is similar to the BUFNO= option that is used for SAS data set processing.

Increasing the value for the CBUFNO= option might result in fewer I/O operations when your application reads very large objects from catalogs. Increasing this value also comes with the normal tradeoff between performance and memory usage. If memory is a serious constraint for your system, you probably should not increase the value of the CBUFNO= option. This is especially true if you have increased the value of the CATCACHE= option.

CENTER System Option

Controls alignment of SAS procedure output

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: Procedure output

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LISTCONTROL

Syntax

CENTER | NOCENTER

Syntax Description

CENTER

centers SAS procedure output.

NOCENTER

left aligns SAS procedure output.

CHARCODE System Option

Determines whether character combinations are substituted for special characters that are not on the keyboard

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Environment control: Display

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ENVDISPLAY

Syntax

CHARCODE | NOCHARCODE

Syntax Description

CHARCODE

allows certain character combinations to be substituted for special characters that may not be on your keyboard.

NOCHARCODE

does not allow substitutions for certain keyboard characters.

Details

If you do not have the following symbols on your keyboard, you can use these character combinations to create the symbols that you need when CHARCODE is active:

To create:	Use:
backquote ( ˜)	?:
backslash (\)	?,
left brace ({)	?(
right brace (})	?)
logical not sign ( or ^)	?=
left square bracket ([)	?<
right square bracket (])	?>
underscore (_)	?-
vertical bar (\|)	?/

Examples

This statement produces the output [TEST TITLE]:

title '?<TEST TITLE?>';

CLEANUP System Option

Specifies how to handle an out-of-resource condition

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Environment control: Error handling

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ERRORHANDLING

See: CLEANUP System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

CLEANUP | NOCLEANUP

Syntax Description

CLEANUP

specifies that during the entire session, SAS attempts to perform automatic, continuous clean-up of resources that are not essential for execution. Nonessential resources include those that are not visible to the user (for example, cache memory) and those that are visible to the user (for example, the KEYS windows).

When CLEANUP is in effect and an out-of-resource condition occurs (except for a disk-full condition), a requestor window is not displayed, and no intervention is required by the user. When CLEANUP is in effect and a disk-full condition occurs, a requester window displays that allows the user to decide how to proceed.

NOCLEANUP

specifies that SAS allow the user to choose how to handle an out-of-resource condition. When NOCLEANUP is in effect and SAS cannot execute because of a lack of resources, SAS automatically attempts to clean up resources that are not visible to the user (for example, cache memory). However, resources that are visible to the user (for example, windows) are not automatically cleaned up. Instead, a requester window appears that allows the user to choose how to proceed.

Details

This table lists the requester window choices:

Requester Window Choice	Action
Free windows	clears all windows not essential for execution.
Clear paste buffers	deletes paste buffer contents.
Deassign inactive librefs	prompts user for librefs to delete.
Delete definitions of all SAS macros and macro variables	deletes all macro definitions and variables.
Delete SAS files	allows user to select files to delete.
Clear Log window	erases Log window contents.
Clear Output window	erases Output window contents.
Clear Program Editor window	erases Program Editor window contents.
Clear source spooling/DMS recall buffers	erases recall buffers.
More items to clean up	displays a list of other resources that can be cleaned up.
Clean up everything	cleans up all other options that are shown on the requestor window. This selection only applies to the current clean-up request, not to the entire SAS session.
Continuous clean up	performs automatic, continuous clean-up. When continuous clean up is selected, SAS cleans up as many resources as possible in order to continue execution, and it ceases to display the requester window. Selecting continuous clean-up has the same effect as specifying CLEANUP. This selection applies to the current clean-up request and to the remainder of the SAS session.

Operating Environment Information: Some operating environments may also include these choices in the requester window:

Requester Window Choice	Action
Execute X command	enables the user to erase files and perform other clean-up operations.
Do nothing	halts the clean-up request and returns to the SAS session. This selection only applies to the current clean-up request, not to the entire SAS session.

If an out-of-resource condition cannot be resolved, the requester window continues to display. In that case, see the SAS documentation for your operating environment for instructions on terminating the SAS session.

When running in modes other than a windowing environment, the operation of CLEANUP depends on your operating environment. For details, see the SAS documentation for your operating environment.

CMDMAC System Option

Determines whether the macro processor recognizes a command-style macro invocation

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Macro: SAS macro

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= MACRO

See: The CMDMAC System Option in SAS Macro Language: Reference .

CMPLIB= System Option

Specifies one or more SAS catalogs containing compiler subroutines to include during program compilation

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, System Options window

Category: Files: SAS Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= SASFILES

Syntax

CMPLIB= libref.catalog | ( libref.catalog-1 ... libref.catalog-n ) | ( libref.catalogN - libref.catalogM )

Syntax Description

libref.catalog

specifies the libref and the catalog of the compiler subroutines that are to be included during program compilation. The libref and catalog must be valid SAS names.

libref.catalogN - libref.catalogM

specifies a range of compiler subroutines that are to be included during program compilation. The name of the libref and the catalog must be valid SAS names containing a numeric suffix.

Details

SAS procedures that perform non-linear statistical modeling or optimization employ a SAS language compiler subsystem that compiles and executes your SAS programs. The compiler subsystem generates machine language code for the computer on which SAS is running. The SAS procedures that use the SAS language compiler are CALIS, COMPILE, GENMOD, MODEL, PHREG, NLIN, NLMIXED, NLP, RISK, and SYLK.

The subroutines that you want to include must already have been compiled. All the subroutines in libref.catalog are included.

You can specify a single libref.catalog , a list of libref.catalog names, or a range of libref.catalog names with numeric suffixes. When you specify more than one libref.catalog name, separate the names with a space and enclose the names in parentheses.

Examples

Number of Libraries	OPTIONS Statement
One library	options cmplib=sasuser.cmpl;
Two or more libraries	options cmplib=(sasuser.cmpl sasuser.cmplA sasuser.cmpl3);
A range of libraries	options cmplib=(sasuser.cmpl1 - sasuser.cmpl6);

CMPOPT= System Option

Specifies the type of code generation optimizations to use in the SAS language compiler

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, System Options window

Category: System administration: Performance

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= PERFORMANCE

Syntax

CMPOPT= optimization-value | ( optimization-value-1 ... optimization-value-n ) | optimization-value “1 ... optimization-value-n | ALL | NONE

NOCMPOPT

CMPOPT Syntax Description

optimization

specifies the type of optimization that the SAS compiler is to use. Valid values are
EXTRAMATH | NOEXTRAMATH
- specifies to keep or remove mathematical operations that do not affect the outcome of a statement. When you specify EXTRAMATH, the compiler retains the extra mathematical operations. When you specify NOEXTRAMATH, the extra mathematical operations are removed.

MISSCHECK | NOMISSCHECK
- specifies whether to check for missing values in the data. If the data contains a significant amount of missing data, then you can optimize the compilation by specifying MISSCHECK. If the data rarely contains missing values, then you can optimize the compilation by specifying NOMISSCHECK.

PRECISE | NOPRECISE
- specifies to handle exceptions at an operation boundary or at a statement boundary. When you specify PRECISE, exceptions are handled at the operation boundary. When you specify NOPRECISE, exceptions are handled at the statement boundary.

GUARDCHECK | NOGUARDCHECK
- specifies whether to check for array boundary problems. When you specify GUARDCHECK, the compiler checks for array boundary problems. When you specify NOGUARDCHECK, the compiler does not check for array boundary problems.
- Note: NOGUARDCHECK is set when CMPOPT is set to ALL and when CMPOPT is set to NONE.

Tip: EXTRAMATH, MISSCHECK, PRECISE, and GUARDCHECK can be specified in any combination when you specify one or more values.

ALL

specifies that the compiler is to optimize the machine language code by using the (NOEXTRAMATH NOMISSCHECK NOPRECISE NOGUARDCHECK) optimization values. ALL cannot be specified in combination with any other values. This is the default.

NONE

specifies that the compiler is not set to optimize the machine language code by using the (EXTRAMATH MISSCHECK PRECISE NOGUARDCHECK) optimization values. NONE cannot be specified in combination with any other values.

NOCMPOPT Syntax Description

NOCMPOPT

specifies to set the value of CMPOPT to ALL. The compiler is to optimize the machine language code by using the (NOEXTRAMATH NOMISSCHECK NOPRECISE NOGUARDCHECK) optimization values.
Restriction: NOCMPOPT cannot be specified in combination with values for the CMPOPT option.

Details

SAS procedures that perform non-linear statistical modeling or optimization employ a SAS language compiler subsystem that compiles and executes your SAS programs. The compiler subsystem generates machine language code for the computer on which SAS is running. By specifying values with the CMPOPT option, the machine language code can be optimized for efficient execution. The SAS procedures that use the SAS language compiler are CALIS, COMPILE, GENMOD, MODEL, PHREG, NLIN, NLMIXED, NLP, RISK, and SYLK.

To specify multiple optimization values, the values must be enclosed in either parentheses, single quotation marks, or double quotation marks. When CMPOPT is set to multiple values, the parentheses or quotation marks are retained as part of the value. They are not retained as part of the value when CMPOPT is set to a single value.

If a value is entered more than once, then the last setting is used. For example, if you specify CMPOPT=(PRECISE NOEXTRAMATH NOPRECISE), then the values that are set are NOEXTRAMATH and NOPRECISE. All leading, trailing, and embedded blanks are removed.

When you specify EXTRAMATH or NOEXTRAMATH, some of the mathematical operations that are either included or excluded in the machine language code are

x * 1	x * “1
x · 1	x · -1
x + 0	x - 0
x - x	x · x
- -x	any operation on two literal constants

Examples

When the OPTIONS statement is...	The result is...
options cmpopt=(extramath);	extramath
options cmpopt="extramath missscheck precise";	"precise extramath extramath"
options nocmpopt;	(noextramath nomisscheck noprecise noguardcheck)

COLLATE System Option

Specifies the collation of multiple copies for output to a printer

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: ODS printing

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ODSPRINT

Syntax

COLLATE | NOCOLLATE

Syntax Description

COLLATE

specifies collating multiple copies of output.

NOCOLLATE

specifies not collating multiple copies of output. This is the default.

Details

When you send a print job to the printer and you want multiple copies of multiple pages, the COLLATE option controls how the pages are ordered:

COLLATE causes the pages to print consecutively: 123, 123, 123...
NOCOLLATE causes the same-numbered pages to print together: 111, 222, 333...

Note: You can also control collation with the SAS windowing environment Page Setup window, invoked with the DMPAGESETUP command.

Most SAS system options are initialized with default settings when SAS is invoked. However, the default settings and/or option values for some SAS system options may vary both by operating environment and by site. For details, see the SAS documentation for your operating environment.

For additional information on declaring an ODS printer destination, see ODS statements in SAS Output Delivery System: User s Guide .

For additional information on the SAS universal print facility, see Printing with SAS in SAS Language Reference: Concepts .

COLORPRINTING System Option

Specifies color printing to a printer, if color printing is supported

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: ODS printing

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ODSPRINT

Syntax

COLORPRINTING | NOCOLORPRINTING

Syntax Description

COLORPRINTING

specifies to attempt to print in color.

NOCOLORPRINTING

specifies not to print in color.

Details

For additional information on declaring an ODS printer destination, see ODS statements in SAS Output Delivery System: User s Guide .

For additional information on the SAS universal print facility, see Printing with SAS in SAS Language Reference: Concepts .

COMPRESS= System Option

Controls the compression of observations in output SAS data sets

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Files: SAS Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= SASFILES

Restriction: The TAPE engine does not support the COMPRESS= system option.

Syntax

COMPRESS=NO | YES | CHAR | BINARY

Syntax Description

specifies that the observations in a newly created SAS data set are uncompressed (fixed-length records).
Alias: N

YES | CHAR

specifies that the observations in a newly created SAS data set are compressed (variable-length records) by SAS using RLE (Run Length Encoding). RLE compresses observations by reducing repeated consecutive characters (including blanks) to two-byte or three-byte representations.
Alias: Y, ON
Tip: Use this compression algorithm for character data.
- Note: COMPRESS=CHAR is accepted by Version 7 and later versions.

BINARY

specifies that the observations in a newly created SAS data set are compressed (variable-length records) by SAS using RDC (Ross Data Compression). RDC combines run-length encoding and sliding-window compression to compress the file.
Tip: This method is highly effective for compressing medium to large (several hundred bytes or larger) blocks of binary data (numeric variables). Because the compression function operates on a single record at a time, the record length needs to be several hundred bytes or larger for effective compression.

Details

Compressing a file is a process that reduces the number of bytes required to represent each observation. Advantages of compressing a file include reduced storage requirements for the file and fewer I/O operations necessary to read or write to the data during processing. However, more CPU resources are required to read a compressed file (because of the overhead of uncompressing each observation), and there are situations when the resulting file size may increase rather than decrease.

Use the COMPRESS= system option to compress all output data sets that are created during a SAS session. Use the option only when you are creating SAS data files (member type DATA). You cannot compress SAS views, because they contain no data.

Once a file is compressed, the setting is a permanent attribute of the file, which means that to change the setting, you must re-create the file. That is, to uncompress a file, specify COMPRESS=NO for a DATA step that copies the compressed file.

Comparisons

The COMPRESS= system option can be overridden by the COMPRESS= option on the LIBNAME statement and the COMPRESS= data set option.

The data set option POINTOBS=YES, which is the default, determines that a compressed data set can be processed with random access (by observation number) rather than sequential access. With random access, you can specify an observation number in the FSEDIT procedure and the POINT= option in the SET and MODIFY statements.

When you create a compressed file, you can also specify REUSE=YES (as a data set option or system option) in order to track and reuse space. With REUSE=YES, new observations are inserted in space freed when other observations are updated or deleted. When the default REUSE=NO is in effect, new observations are appended to the existing file.

POINTOBS=YES and REUSE=YES are mutually exclusive; that is, they cannot be used together. REUSE=YES takes precedence over POINTOBS=YES; that is, if you set REUSE=YES, SAS automatically sets POINTOBS=NO.

The TAPE engine does not support the COMPRESS= system option, but the engine does support the COMPRESS= data set option.

The XPORT engine does not support compression.

COPIES= System Option

Specifies the number of copies to make when printing to a printer

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: ODS printing

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ODSPRINT

Syntax

COPIES= n

Syntax Description

specifies the number of copies.

For additional information on declaring an ODS printer destination, see ODS statements in SAS Output Delivery System: User s Guide . For additional information on the SAS universal print facility, see Printing with SAS in SAS Language Reference: Concepts .

CPUCOUNT= System Option

Specifies the number of processors that the thread-enabled applications should assume will be available for concurrent processing

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: System administration: Performance

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= PERFORMANCE

Interaction: If the THREADS system option is set to NOTHREADS, the CPUCOUNT= option has no effect.

Syntax

CPUCOUNT= 1 - 1024 | ACTUAL

Syntax Description

1-1024

is the number of CPUs that SAS will assume are available for use by thread-enabled applications.
CAUTION:
- Setting CPUCOUNT= to a number greater than the actual number of available CPUs might result in reduced overall performance of SAS.

Tip: This is typically set to the actual number of CPUs available to the current process by your configuration.

ACTUAL

returns the number of physical processors available when the option is set.
Tip: This number can be less than the physical number of CPUs if the SAS process has been restricted by system administration tools.
Tip: Setting CPUCOUNT= to ACTUAL at any time causes the option to be reset to the actual CPU count as seen by the SAS session at that time.

Details

In SAS 9 and SAS 9.1, certain procedures have been modified to take advantage of multiple CPUs by threading the procedure processing. The Base SAS engine also uses threading to create an index. The CPUCOUNT= option provides the information that is needed to make decisions about the allocation of threads.

Changing the value of CPUCOUNT= affects the degree of parallelism each thread-enabled process attempts to achieve. Setting CPUCOUNT to a number greater than the actual number of available CPUs might result in reduced overall performance of SAS.

Comparisons

When the related system option THREADS is in effect, threading will be active where available. The value of the CPUCOUNT= option affects the performance of THREADS by suggesting how many system CPUs are available for use by thread-enabled SAS procedures.

CPUID System Option

Specifies whether hardware information is written to the SAS log

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Log and procedure output control: SAS log

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LOGCONTROL

Syntax

CPUID | NOCPUID

Syntax Description

CPUID

specifies that a note that contains the CPU identification number is printed at the top of the SAS log after the licensing information.

NOCPUID

specifies that the note that contains the CPU identification number is not written to the SAS log.

DATASTMTCHK= System Option

Prevents certain errors by controlling the SAS keywords that are allowed in the DATA statement

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Files: SAS Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= SASFILES

Syntax

DATASTMTCHK=COREKEYWORDS | ALLKEYWORDS | NONE

Syntax Description

COREKEYWORDS

(default) prohibits certain words as one-level SAS data set names in the DATA statement. They can appear as two-level names, however. When you specify COREKEYWORDS, the keywords that cannot appear as one-level SAS data set names are
- MERGE
- RETAIN
- SET
- UPDATE.

For example, SET is not acceptable in the DATA statement, but SAVE.SET and WORK.SET are acceptable.

ALLKEYWORDS

prohibits any keyword that can begin a statement in the DATA step (for example, ABORT, ARRAY, INFILE) as a one-level data set name in the DATA statement.

NONE

provides no protection against overwriting SAS data sets.

Details

It is possible to wipe out unintentionally an input data set when you omit a semicolon on the DATA statement. If the next statement is SET, MERGE, or UPDATE, the original data set is overwritten. Different, but significant, problems arise when the next statement is RETAIN. DATASTMTCHK= enables you to protect yourself against overwriting the input data set.

DATE System Option

Prints the date and time that the SAS session was initialized

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: SAS log and procedure output

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LOG_LISTCONTROL

Syntax

DATE | NODATE

Syntax Description

DATE

specifies that the date and the time that the SAS job began are printed at the top of each page of the SAS log and any output that is created by SAS.

Note: If the SAS session is in interactive mode, the date/time is not noted in the log window It is noted instead in the output window.

NODATE

specifies that the date and the time are not printed.

DATESTYLE= System Option

Identifies the sequence of month, day, and year when ANYDTDTE, ANYDTDTM, or ANYDTTME informat data is ambiguous

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Environment control: Language control

Input control: Data Processing

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= INPUTCONTROL

LANGUAGECONTROL

Syntax

DATESTYLE= MDY | MYD | YMD | YDM | DMY | DYM | LOCALE

Syntax Description

MDY

specifies that SAS set the order as month, day, year.

MYD

specifies that SAS set the order as month, year, day.

YMD

specifies that SAS set the order as year, month, day.

YDM

specifies that SAS set the order as year, day, month.

DMY

specifies that SAS set the order as day, month, year.

DYM

specifies that SAS set the order as day, year, month.

LOCALE

specifies that SAS set the order based on the value that corresponds to the LOCALE= system option value and is one of the following: MDY | MYD | YMD | YDM | DMY | DYM.

Details

System option DATESTYLE= identifies the order of month, day, and year. The default value is LOCALE. The default LOCALE system option value is English, therefore, the default DATESTYLE order is MDY.

Operating Environment Information: See Locale Values in SAS National Language Support (NLS): User s Guide to get the default settings for each locale option value.

DETAILS System Option

Specifies whether to include additional information when files are listed in a SAS data library

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: SAS log and procedure output

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LOG_LISTCONTROL

Syntax

DETAILS | NODETAILS

Syntax Description

DETAILS

includes additional information when some SAS procedures and windows display a listing of files in a SAS data library.

NODETAILS

does not include additional information.

Details

The DETAILS specification sets the default display for these components of SAS:

the CONTENTS procedure
the DATASETS procedure.

The type and amount of additional information that displays depends on which procedure or window you use.

DEVICE= System Option

Specifies a terminal device driver for SAS/GRAPH software

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Alias: DEV=

Category: Graphics: Driver settings

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= GRAPHICS

See: DEVICE= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

DEVICE= device-driver-specification

Syntax Description

device-driver-specification

specifies the name of a terminal device driver.

Details

If you omit the device-driver name, you are prompted to enter a driver name when you execute a procedure that produces graphics.

Operating Environment Information: Valid device-driver names depend on your operating environment. For a list of valid device-driver names, refer to the SAS documentation for your operating environment.

The syntax that is shown applies to the OPTIONS statement. However, when you specify DEVICE= either on the command-line or in a configuration file, the syntax is specific to your operating environment and may include additional or alternate punctuation.

DFLANG= System Option

Specifies language for international date informats and formats

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Environment control: Language control

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LANGUAGECONTROL

See: DFLANG= System Option in SAS National Language Support (NLS): User s Guide

DKRICOND= System Option

Controls the level of error detection for input data sets during processing of DROP=, KEEP=, and RENAME= data set options

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Files: SAS Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= SASFILES

Syntax

DKRICOND=ERROR | WARN | WARNING | NOWARN | NOWARNING

Syntax Description

ERROR

sets the error flag and writes error messages if a variable on a KEEP=, DROP=, or RENAME= data set option or statement does not exist in the data set.

WARN|WARNING

writes warning messages only.

NOWARN|NOWARNING

does not write warning messages.

Examples

In the following statements, if the variable X is not in data set B and DKRICOND=ERROR, SAS sets the error flag to 1 and displays error messages:

data a;     set b(drop=x);  run;

DKROCOND= System Option

Controls the level of error detection for output data sets during the processing of DROP=, KEEP=, and RENAME= data set options and the corresponding DATA step statements

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Files: SAS Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= SASFILES

Syntax

DKROCOND=ERROR | WARN | WARNING | NOWARN | NOWARNING

Syntax Description

ERROR

sets the error flag and writes error messages if a variable on a KEEP=, DROP=, or RENAME= option or statement does not exist in the data set.

WARN | WARNING

writes warning messages only.

NOWARN | NOWARNING

does not write warning messages.

Examples

In the following statements, if the variable X is not in data set A and DKROCOND=ERROR, SAS sets the error flag to 1 and displays error messages:

data a;     drop x;  run;

DLDMGACTION= System Option

Specifies what type of action to take when a SAS catalog or a SAS data set in a SAS data library is detected as damaged

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Files: SAS Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= SASFILES

Syntax

DLDMGACTION=FAIL | ABORT | REPAIR | PROMPT

Syntax Description

FAIL

stops the step and issues an error message to the log immediately. This is the default for batch mode.

ABORT

terminates the step and issues an error message to the log, and aborts the SAS session.

REPAIR

For catalogs, automatically deletes catalog entries for which an error occurs during the repair process. For data sets, automatically repairs and rebuilds indexes and integrity constraints, unless the data set is truncated. You use the REPAIR statement to restore the truncated data set. It issues a warning message to the log. This is the default for interactive mode.

PROMPT

displays a requester window that lets you select FAIL, ABORT, or REPAIR processing for the damaged catalog, data set, or library.

DMR System Option

Controls the ability to invoke a remote SAS session so that you can run SAS/CONNECT software

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Environment control: Initialization and operation

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= EXECMODES

Syntax

DMR | NODMR

Syntax Description

DMR

enables you to invoke a remote SAS session in order to run SAS/CONNECT software.

NODMR

disables you from invoking a remote SAS session.

Details

You normally invoke the remote SAS session from a local session by including DMR with the SAS command in a script that contains a TYPE statement. (A script is a text file that contains statements to establish or terminate the SAS/CONNECT link between the local and the remote SAS sessions.)

The following SAS execution mode invocation option has precedence over this option:

OBJECTSERVER

DMR overrides all other SAS execution mode invocation options. See Order of Precedence on page 1445 for more information on invocation option precedence.

DMS System Option

Invokes the SAS windowing environment

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Environment control: Initialization and operation

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= EXECMODES

Syntax

DMS | NODMS

Syntax Description

DMS

invokes the SAS windowing environment and displays the Log, an Editor window, and Output windows.

NODMS

invokes an interactive line mode SAS session.

Details

When you invoke SAS and you are using a configuration file or the command line to control your system option settings, it is possible to create a situation where some system option settings conflict with other system option settings. The following invocation system options have precedence over the DMS invocation sytem option:

DMR
OBJECTSERVER.

If you specify DMR while using another invocation option of equal precedence to invoke SAS, SAS uses the last option that is specified. See Order of Precedence on page 1445 for more information about invocation option precedence.

DMSEXP System Option

Invokes SAS with the Explorer, Program Editor, Log, Output, and Results windows

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Environment control: Initialization and operation

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= EXECMODES

Syntax

DMSEXP | NODMSEXP

Syntax Description

DMSEXP

invokes SAS with the Explorer, Program Editor, Log, Output, and Results windows active.

NODMSEXP

invokes SAS with the Program Editor, Log, and Output windows active.

Details

In order to set DMSEXP or NODMSEXP, the DMS option must be set. The following SAS execution mode invocation options have precedence over this option:

DMR
OBJECTSERVER.

DMSEXP has the same precedence as all other SAS execution mode invocation options. If you specify DMSEXP with another execution mode invocation option of equal precedence, SAS uses only the last option listed. See Order of Precedence on page 1445 for more information on invocation option precedence.

DMSLOGSIZE= System Option

Specifies the maximum number of rows that the SAS windowing environment Log window can display

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Environment control: Display

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ENVDISPLAY

Syntax

DMSLOGSIZE= n | n K | hex X | MIN | MAX

Syntax Description

n | n K

specifies the maximum number of rows that can be displayed in the SAS windowing environment Log window in multiples of 1 (n) or 1,024 (nK). For example, a value of 800 specifies 800 rows, and a value of 3K specifies 3,072 rows. Valid values range from 500 to 999999. The default is 99999.

hex X

specifies the maximum number of rows that can be displayed in the SAS windowing environment Log window as a hexadecimal value. You must specify the value beginning with a number (0-9), followed by an X. For example, 2ffx specifies 767 rows and 0A00x specifies 2,560 rows.

MIN

specifies to set the maximum number of rows that can be displayed in the SAS windowing environment Log window to 500.

MAX

specifies to set the maximum number of rows that can be displayed in the SAS windowing environment Log window to 999999.

Details

When the maximum number of rows have been displayed in the Log window, SAS prompts you to either file, print, save, or clear the Log window.

DMSOUTSIZE= System Option

Specifies the maximum number of rows that the SAS windowing environment Output window can display

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Environment control: Display

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ENVDISPLAY

Syntax

DMSOUTSIZE= n | n K | hex X | MIN | MAX

Syntax Description

n | n K

specifies the maximum number of rows that can be displayed in the SAS windowing environment Output window in multiples of 1 (n) or 1,024 (nK). For example, a vaule of 800 specifies 800 rows, and a value of 3K specifies 3,072 rows. Valid values range from 500 to 999999. The default is 99999.

hex X

specifies the maximum number of rows that can be displayed in the SAS windowing environment Output window as a hexadecimal value. You must specify the value beginning with a number (0-9), followed by an X. For example, 2ffx specifies 767 rows and 0A00x specifies 2,560 rows.

MIN

specifies to set the maximum number of rows that can be displayed in the SAS windowing environment Output window to 500.

MAX

specifies to set the maximum number of rows that can be displayed in the SAS windowing environment Output window to 999999.

Details

When the maximum number of rows have been displayed in the Output window, SAS prompts you to either file, print, save, or clear the Output window.

DMSSYNCHK System Option

Enables syntax check mode for multiple steps in the SAS windowing environment

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Environment control: Error handling

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ERRORHANDLING

Syntax

DMSSYNCHK | NODMSSYNCHK

Syntax Description

DMSSYNCHK

enables syntax check mode for statements that are submitted within the windowing and Explorer environments.

NODMSSYNCHK

does not enable syntax check mode for statements that are submitted within the windowing and Explorer environments.

Details

If a syntax or semantic error occurs in a DATA step after the DMSSYNCHK option is set, then SAS enters syntax check mode, which remains in effect from the point where SAS encountered the error to the end of the code that was submitted. After SAS enters syntax mode, all subsequent DATA step statements and PROC step statements are validated .

While in syntax check mode, only limited processing is performed. For a detailed explanation of syntax check mode, see Syntax Check Mode in the Error Processing in SAS section of SAS Language Reference: Concepts .

CAUTION:

Place the OPTIONS statement that enables DMSSYNCHK before the step for which you want it to take effect. If you place the OPTIONS statement inside a step, then DMSSYNCHK will not take effect until the beginning of the next step.

If NODMSSYNCHK is in effect, SAS processes the remaining steps even if an error occurs in the previous step.

Comparisons

You use the DMSSYNCHK system option to validate syntax in an interactive session by using the SAS windowing environment. You use the SYNTAXCHECK system option to validate syntax in a non-interactive or batch SAS session. You can use the ERRORCHECK= option to specify the syntax check mode for the LIBNAME statement, the FILENAME statement, the %INCLUDE statement, and the LOCK statement in SAS/SHARE.

DSNFERR System Option

Controls how SAS responds when a SAS data set is not found

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Environment control: Error handling

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ERRORHANDLING

Syntax

DSNFERR | NODSNFERR

Syntax Description

DSNFERR

specifies that SAS issue an error message and stop processing if a reference is made to a SAS data set that does not exist.

NODSNFERR

specifies that SAS ignore the error message and continue processing if a reference is made to a SAS data set that does not exist. The data set reference is treated as if _NULL_ had been specified.

Comparisons

DSNFERR is similar to the BYERR system option, which issues an error message and stops processing if the SORT procedure attempts to sort a _NULL_ data set.
DSNFERR is similar to the VNFERR system option, which sets the error flag for a missing variable when a _NULL_ data set is used.

DTRESET System Option

Updates date and time in the SAS log and in the listing file

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: SAS log and procedure output

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LOG_LISTCONTROL

Syntax

DTRESET | NODTRESET

Syntax Description

DTRESET

specifies that SAS update the date and time in the titles of the SAS log and the listing file.

NODTRESET

specifies that SAS not update the date and time in the titles of the SAS log and the listing file.

Details

The DTRESET system option updates the date and time in the titles of the SAS log and the listing file. This update occurs when the page is being written. The smallest time increment that is reflected is minutes.

The DTRESET option is especially helpful in obtaining a more accurate date and time stamp when you run long SAS jobs.

When you use NODTRESET, SAS displays the date and time that the job originally started.

DUPLEX System Option

Specifies duplexing controls to a printer

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: ODS printing

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ODSPRINT

Syntax

DUPLEX| NODUPLEX

Syntax Description

DUPLEX

specifies that duplexing is performed.
Interaction: When DUPLEX is selected, the setting of the BINDING=option determines how the paper is oriented before output is printed on the second side.

NODUPLEX

specifies that duplexing is not performed. This is the default.

Details

Note that duplex printing can be used only on printers that support duplex output.

Operating Environment Information: Most SAS system options are initialized with default settings when SAS is invoked. However, the default settings for some SAS system options may vary both by operating environment and by site. Option values may also vary both by operating environment and by site. For details, see the SAS documentation for your operating environment.

For additional information on declaring an ODS printer destination, see ODS statements in SAS Output Delivery System: User s Guide .

For additional information on the SAS universal print facility, see Printing with SAS in SAS Language Reference: Concepts .

ECHOAUTO System Option

Controls whether autoexec code in an input file is echoed to the log

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Log and procedure output control: SAS log

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LOGCONTROL

Syntax

ECHOAUTO | NOECHOAUTO

Syntax Description

ECHOAUTO

specifies that SAS source lines that are read from the autoexec file be printed in the SAS log.

NOECHOAUTO

specifies that SAS source lines that are read from the autoexec file not be printed in the SAS log, even though they are executed.

Details

Regardless of the setting of this option, messages that result from errors in the autoexec files are printed in the SAS log.

EMAILAUTHPROTOCOL= System Option

Specifies the authentication protocol for SMTP E-mail

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Communications: Email

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= EMAIL

Syntax

EMAILAUTHPROTOCOL= NONE | LOGIN

Syntax Description

LOGIN

specifies that the LOGIN authentication protocol is used.

Note: When you specify LOGIN, you might also need to specify EMAILID and EMAILPW. If you omit EMAILID, SAS will look up your user ID and use it. If you omit EMAILPW, no password is used.

NONE

specifies that no authentication protocol is used.

Comparisons

For the SMTP access method, use this option in conjunction with the EMAILID=, EMAILPW=, EMAILPORT, and EMAILHOST system options. EMAILID= provides the username, EMAILPW= provides the password, EMAILPORT specifies the port to which the SMTP server is attached, EMAILHOST specifies the SMTP server that supports e-mail access for your site, and EMAILAUTHPROTOCOL= provides the protocol.

EMAILHOST System Option

Specifies the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server that supports e-mail access for your site

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Communications: Email

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= EMAIL

See: EMAILHOST System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

EMAILHOST < server >

Syntax Description

server

specifies the domain name of the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server for your site.
- Note: The system administrator for your site will provide this information.

Details

Operating Environment Information: To enable the SMTP interface that SAS provides, you must also specify the EMAILSYS=SMTP system option. For information about EMAILSYS, see the documentation for your operating environment.

Comparisons

For the SMTP access method, use this option in conjunction with the EMAILID=, EMAILAUTHPROTOCOL=, EMAILPORT, and EMAILPW system options. EMAILID= provides the username, EMAILPW= provides the password, EMAILPORT specifies the port to which the SMTP server is attached, EMAILHOST specifies the SMTP server that supports e-mail access for your site, and EMAILAUTHPROTOCOL= provides the protocol.

EMAILID= System Option

Specifies the identity of the individual sending e-mail from within SAS

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Communications: Email

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= EMAIL

Syntax

EMAILID = loginid | profile | emailaddress

Syntax Description

loginid

specifies the login ID for the user running SAS.
Maximum: The maximum number of characters is 32,000.

profile

see documentation for your e-mail system to determine the profile name.

email-address

specifies the fully qualified e-mail address of the user running SAS.
Requirement: If the value of email-address contains a space, you must enclose it in double quotation marks.
Note: The e-mail address is valid only when SMTP is enabled.

Details

The EMAILID= system option specifies the login ID, profile, or e-mail address to use with your e-mail system.

Comparisons

For the SMTP access method, use this option in conjunction with the EMAILAUTHPROTOCOL=, EMAILPW=, EMAILPORT, and EMAILHOST system options. EMAILID= provides the username, EMAILPW= provides the password, EMAILPORT specifies the port to which the SMTP server is attached, EMAILHOST specifies the SMTP server that supports e-mail access for your site, and EMAILAUTHPROTOCOL= provides the protocol.

EMAILPORT System Option

Specifies the port to which the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server is attached

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Communications: Email

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= EMAIL

Syntax

EMAILPORT < portnumber >

Syntax Description

portnumber

specifies the port number that is used by the SMTP server that you specified on the EMAILHOST option.
- Note: The system administrator for your site will provide this information.

Details

Operating Environment Information: If you use the SMTP protocol that SAS provides, you must also specify the EMAILSYS SMTP system option. For information about EMAILSYS, see the documentation for your operating environment.

Comparisons

For the SMTP access method, use this option in conjunction with the EMAILID=, EMAILAUTHPROTOCOL= , EMAILPW= , and EMAILHOST system options. EMAILID= provides the username, EMAILPW= provides the password, EMAILPORT specifies the port to which the SMTP server is attached, EMAILHOST specifies the SMTP server that supports email access for your site, and EMAILAUTHPROTOCOL= provides the protocol.

EMAILPW= System Option

Specifies your e-mail login password

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Communications: Email

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= EMAIL

Syntax

EMAILPW= " password "

PASSWORD

specifies the login password for your login name.
Restriction: If password contains a space, you must enclose the value in double quotation marks.

Details

If you do not specify the EMAILID and EMAILPW system options at invocation (and you are not otherwise logged in to your e-mail system), SAS will prompt you for them when you initiate your e-mail.

Comparisons

For the SMTP access method, use this option in conjunction with the EMAILID=, EMAILAUTHPROTOCOL=, EMAILPORT, and EMAILHOST system options. EMAILID= provides the username, EMAILPW= provides the password, EMAILPORT specifies the port to which the SMTP server is attached, EMAILHOST specifies the SMTP server that supports e-mail access for your site, and EMAILAUTHPROTOCOL= provides the protocol.

ENGINE= System Option

Specifies the default access method for SAS libraries

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Files: SAS Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= SASFILES

See: ENGINE= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

ENGINE= engine-name

Syntax Description

engine-name

specifies an engine name.

Details

The ENGINE= system option specifies which default engine name is associated with a SAS library. The default engine is used when a SAS library points to an empty directory or a new file. The default engine is also used on directory-based systems, which can store more than one SAS file type within a directory. For example, some operating environments can store SAS files from multiple versions in the same directory.

Operating Environment Information: Valid engine names depend on your operating environment. For details, see the SAS documentation for your operating environment.

ERRORABEND System Option

Specifies how SAS responds to errors

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Alias: ERRABEND | NOERRABEND

Category: Environment control: Error handling

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ERRORHANDLING

Syntax

ERRORABEND | NOERRORABEND

Syntax Description

ERRORABEND

specifies that SAS abend for most errors (including syntax errors) that would normally cause it to issue an error message, set OBS=0, and go into syntax-check mode (in batch mode only).
Tip: Use the ERRORABEND system option with SAS production programs, which presumably should not encounter any errors. If errors are encountered and ERRORABEND is in effect, SAS brings the errors to your attention immediately by abending. ERRORABEND does not affect how SAS handles notes such as invalid data messages.

NOERRORABEND

specifies that SAS handle errors normally, that is, issue an error message, set OBS=0, and go into syntax-check mode (in batch mode only).

ERRORBYABEND System Option

Specifies how SAS responds to BY-group error conditions

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Environment control: Error handling

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ERRORHANDLING

Syntax

ERRORBYABEND | NOERRORBYABEND

Syntax Description

ERRORBYABEND

specifies that SAS terminate BY-group error conditions that would normally cause it to issue an error message.

NOERRORBYABEND

specifies that SAS handle BY-group errors normally, that is, by issuing an error message and continuing processing.

Details

If SAS encounters one or more BY-group errors while ERRORBYABEND is in effect, SAS brings the errors to your attention immediately by ending your program. ERRORBYABEND does not affect how SAS handles notes that are written to the SAS log.

Note: Use the ERRORBYABEND system option with SAS production programs that should be error free.

ERRORCHECK= System Option

Controls error handling

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Environment control: Error handling

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ERRORHANDLING

Syntax

ERRORCHECK=NORMAL | STRICT

Syntax Description

NORMAL

does not place the SAS job into syntax-check mode when an error occurs in a LIBNAME or FILENAME statement, or in a LOCK statement in SAS/SHARE software. In addition, the job or session does not abend when a %INCLUDE statement fails due to a non-existent file.

STRICT

places the SAS job into syntax-check mode when an error occurs in a LIBNAME or FILENAME statement, or in a LOCK statement in SAS/SHARE software. In addition, the job or session abends when a %INCLUDE statement fails due to a non-existent file.

ERRORS= System Option

Controls the maximum number of observations for which complete error messages are printed

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Environment control: Error handling

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ERRORHANDLING

Syntax

ERRORS= n | n K | n M | n G | n T | MIN | MAX | hex X

Syntax Description

n | n K | n M | n G | n T

specifies the number of observations for which error messages are printed in terms of 1 (n); 1,024 (nK); 1,048,576 (nM); 1,073,741,824 (nG); or 1,099,511,627,776 (nT). For example, a value of 8 specifies 8 observations, and a value of 3M specifies 3,145,728 observations.

MIN

sets the number of observations for which error messages are printed to 0.

MAX

sets the maximum number of observations for which error messages are printed to the largest signed, 4 “byte integer representable in your operating environment.

hex X

specifies the maximum number of observations for which error messages are printed as a hexadecimal number. You must specify the value beginning with a number (0 “9), followed by an X.

For example, the value 2dx sets the maximum number of observations for which errors are printed to 45 observations.

Details

If data errors are detected in more than n observations, processing continues, but error messages do not print for the additional errors.

Note: If you set ERRORS=0 and an error occurs, a note displays in the log which states that the limit set by the ERRORS option has been exceeded.

EXPLORER System Option

Controls whether you invoke SAS with only the Explorer window

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Environment control: Initialization and operation

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= EXECMODES

Syntax

EXPLORER | NOEXPLORER

Syntax Description

EXPLORER

specifies that the SAS session be invoked with only the Explorer window.

NOEXPLORER

specifies that the SAS session be invoked without the Explorer window.

Details

The following SAS execution mode invocation options have precedence over this option:

DMR
OBJECTSERVER.

EXPLORER has the same precedence as all other SAS execution mode invocation options. If you specify EXPLORER with another execution mode invocation option of equal precedence, SAS uses only the last option listed. See Order of Precedence on page 1445 for more information on invocation option precedence.

FIRSTOBS= System Option

Specifies which observation or record SAS processes first

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Files: SAS Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= SASFILES

Syntax

FIRSTOBS= MIN | MAX | n | n K | n M | n G | n T | hex X

Syntax Description

MIN

sets the number of the first observation or record to process to 1. This is the default.

MAX

sets the number of the first observation to process to the maximum number of observations in the data sets or records in the external file, up to the largest eight-byte, signed integer, which is 2 ⁶³ -1, or approximately 9.2 quintillion observations.

n | n K | n M | n G | n T

specifies the number of the first observation or record to process in multiples of 1 (bytes); 1,024 (kilobytes); 1,048,576 (megabytes); 1,073,741,824 (gigabytes); or 1,099,511,627,776 (terabytes). For example, a value of 8 specifies 8 bytes, and a value of 3m specifies 3,145,728 bytes.

hex X

specifies the number of the first observation or record to process as a hexadecimal value. You must specify the value beginning with a number (0 “9), followed by an X. For example, the value 2dx specifies the 45th observation.

Details

The FIRSTOBS= system option is valid for all steps for the duration of your current SAS session or until you change the setting. To affect any single SAS data set, use the FIRSTOBS= data set option.

You can apply FIRSTOBS= processing to WHERE processing. For details, see Processing a Segment of Data That Is Conditionally Selected in SAS Language Reference: Concepts .

Comparisons

You can override the FIRSTOBS= system option by using the FIRSTOBS= data set option and by using the FIRSTOBS= option as a part of the INFILE statement.
While the FIRSTOBS= system option specifies a starting point for processing, the OBS= system option specifies an ending point. The two options are often used together to define a range of observations or records to be processed.

Examples

If you specify FIRSTOBS=50, SAS processes the 50th observation of the data set first.

This option applies to every input data set that is used in a program or a SAS process. In this example, SAS begins reading at the eleventh observation in the data sets OLD, A, and B:

options firstobs=11;  data a;     set old; /* 100 observations */  run;  data b;     set a;  run;  data c;     set b;  run;

Data set OLD has 100 observations, data set A has 90, B has 80, and C has 70. To avoid decreasing the number of observations in successive data sets, use the FIRSTOBS= data set option in the SET statement. You can also reset FIRSTOBS=1 between a DATA step and a PROC step.

FMTERR System Option

Determines whether SAS generates an error message when a format of a variable cannot be found

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Environment control: Error handling

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ERRORHANDLING

Syntax

FMTERR | NOFMTERR

Syntax Description

FMTERR

specifies that when SAS cannot find a specified variable format, it generates an error message and does not allow default substitution to occur.

NOFMTERR

replaces missing formats with the w .or $ w . default format, issues a note, and continues processing.

FMTSEARCH= System Option

Controls the order in which format catalogs are searched

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Environment control: Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ENVFILES

See: FMTSEARCH= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

FMTSEARCH=( catalog-specification-1... catalog-specification-n )

Syntax Description

catalog-specification

searches format catalogs in the order listed, until the desired member is found. The value of libref can be either libref or libref.catalog . If only the libref is given, SAS assumes that FORMATS is the catalog name.

Details

The WORK.FORMATS catalog is always searched first, and the LIBRARY.FORMATS catalog is searched next, unless one of them appears in the FMTSEARCH= list.

If a catalog appears in the FMTSEARCH= list, the catalog is searched in the order in which it appears in the list. If a catalog in the list does not exist, that particular item is ignored and searching continues.

Examples

If you specify FMTSEARCH=(ABC DEF.XYZ GHI), SAS searches for requested formats or informats in this order:

WORK.FORMATS
LIBRARY.FORMATS
ABC.FORMATS
DEF.XYZ
GHI.FORMATS.

If you specify FMTSEARCH=(ABC WORK LIBRARY) SAS searches in this order:

ABC.FORMATS
WORK.FORMATS
LIBRARY.FORMATS.

Because WORK appears in the FMTSEARCH list, WORK.FORMATS is not automatically searched first.

FONTSLOC= System Option

Specifies the location that contains the SAS fonts that are loaded by some Universal Printer drivers

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Environment control: Display

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ENVDISPLAY

See: FONTSLOC= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment

Syntax

FONTSLOC= location

Syntax Description

location

specifies the location of the SAS fonts that are loaded during the SAS session.

The location can be either a fileref or an operating system pathname.

Note: If location is a fileref, you do not need to enclose the value in quotation marks.

FORMCHAR= System Option

Specifies the default output formatting characters

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: Procedure output

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LISTCONTROL

See: FORMCHAR= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

FORMCHAR= formatting-characters

Syntax Description

formatting-characters

specifies any string or list of strings of characters up to 64 bytes long. If fewer than 64 bytes are specified, the string is padded with blanks on the right.

Details

Formatting characters are used to construct tabular output outlines and dividers for various procedures, such as the CALENDAR, FREQ, and TABULATE procedures. If you omit formatting characters as an option in the procedure, the default specifications given in the FORMCHAR= system option are used. Note that you can also specify a hexadecimal character constant as a formatting character. When you use hex constant with this option, SAS interprets the value of the hexadecimal constant as appropriate for your operating system.

FORMDLIM= System Option

Specifies a character to delimit page breaks in SAS output

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: Procedure output

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LISTCONTROL

Syntax

FORMDLIM= delimiting-character

Syntax Description

delimiting-character

specifies in quotation marks a character written to delimit pages. Normally, the delimit character is null, as in this statement:
```
options formdlim=''; 
```

Details

When the delimit character is null, a new physical page starts whenever a new page occurs. However, you can conserve paper by allowing multiple pages of output to appear on the same page. For example, this statement writes a line of dashes (- -) where normally a page break would occur:

options formdlim='-';

When a new page is to begin, SAS skips a single line, writes a line consisting of the dashes that are repeated across the page, and skips another single line. There is no skip to the top of a new physical page. Resetting FORMDLIM= to null causes physical pages to be written normally again.

FORMS= System Option

Specifies the default form that is used for windowing output

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Environment control: Display

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ENVDISPLAY

Syntax

FORMS= form-name

Syntax Description

form-name

specifies the name of the form.
Tip: To create a customized form, use the FSFORMS command in a windowing environment.

Details

The FORMS= system option also customizes output from the PRINT command (when FORM= is omitted) or output from interactive windowing procedures. The default form contains settings that control various aspects of interactive windowing output, including printer selection, text body, and margins.

GISMAPS= System Option

Specifies the location of the SAS data library that contains SAS/GIS-supplied US Census Tract maps

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Graphics: Driver settings

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= GRAPHICS

See: GISMAPS= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

GISMAPS= library-specification | path -to-library

Syntax Description

library-specification | path-to-library

specifies either a library or a physical path to a library that contains SAS/ GIS-supplied US Census Tract maps.

Operating Environment Information: The syntax shown here applies to the OPTIONS statement. On the command line or in a configuration file, the syntax is specific to your operating environment. For details, see the SAS documentation for your operating environment. A valid library specification and its syntax are specific to your operating environment. On the command line or in a configuration file, the syntax is specific to your operating environment. For details, see the SAS documentation for your operating environment.

GWINDOW System Option

Controls whether SAS displays SAS/GRAPH output in the GRAPH window of the windowing environment

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Graphics: Driver settings

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= GRAPHICS

Syntax

GWINDOW | NOGWINDOW

Syntax Description

GWINDOW

displays SAS/GRAPH software output in the GRAPH window, if your site licenses SAS/GRAPH software and if your terminal has graphics capability.

NOGWINDOW

displays graphics outside of the windowing environment.

HELPENCMD System Option

Controls whether SAS uses the English version or the translated version of the keyword list for the command “line Help

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Environment control: Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= HELP

Syntax

HELPENCMD | NOHELPENCMD

Syntax Description

HELPENCMD

specifies that SAS use the English version of the keyword list for the command-line help, although the index will still be displayed with translated keywords. This is the default.

NOHELPENCMD

specifies that SAS use the translated version of the keyword list for the command-line help, if a translated version exists.

Details

Set NOHELPENCMD if you want the command-line help to locate keywords by using the localized terms. By default, all terms on the command line will be read as English.

IBUFSIZE= System Option

Specifies the buffer page size for an index file

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Files: SAS Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= SASFILES

Restriction: Specify a page size before the index file is created. After it is created, you cannot change the page size.

Syntax

IBUFSIZE= MIN | MAX | n | n K | n M | n G | n T | hex X

Syntax Description

MIN

sets the page size for an index file to -32767. The IBUFSIZE= option is defined as a signed integer so that negative values can be supplied for internal testing purposes. This might cause unexpected results.

CAUTION:

This setting should be avoided. Use IBUFSIZE=0 to reset IBUFSIZE= to the default value in your operating environment.

MAX

sets the page size for an index file to the maximum possible number. For IBUFSIZE=, the value is 32,767 bytes.

n | n K | n M | n G | n T

specifies the page size to process in multiples of 1 (bytes); 1,024 (kilobytes); 1,048,576 (megabytes); or 1,073,741,824 (gigabytes); or 1,099,511,627,776 (terabytes). For example, a value of 8 specifies 8 bytes, and a value of 3m specifies 3,145,728 bytes.

The default is 0, which causes SAS to use the minimum optimal page size for the operating environment.

hex X

specifies the page size as a hexadecimal value. You must specify the value beginning with a number (0 “9), followed by an X. For example, the value 2dx sets the page size to 45 bytes.

Details

An index is an optional SAS file that you can create for a SAS data file in order to provide direct access to specific observations. The index file consists of entries that are organized into hierarchical levels, such as a tree structure, and connected by pointers. When an index is used to process a request, such as for WHERE processing, SAS does a search on the index file in order to rapidly locate the requested record(s).

Typically, you do not need to specify an index page size. However, the following situations could require a different page size:

The page size affects the number of levels in the index. The more pages there are, the more levels in the index. The more levels, the longer the index search takes. Increasing the page size allows more index values to be stored on each page, thus reducing the number of pages (and the number of levels). The number of pages required for the index varies with the page size, the length of the index value, and the values themselves . The main resource that is saved when reducing levels in the index is I/O. If your application is experiencing a lot of I/O in the index file, increasing the page size might help. However, you must re-create the index file after increasing the page size.
The index file structure requires a minimum of three index values to be stored on a page. If the length of an index value is very large, you might get an error message that the index could not be created because the page size is too small to hold three index values. Increasing the page size should eliminate the error.

Note: Experimentation is the best way to determine the optimal index page size.

IMPLMAC System Option

Controls whether SAS allows statement-style macro calls

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Macro: SAS macro

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= MACRO

See: The IMPLMAC System Option in SAS Macro Language: Reference .

INITCMD System Option

Suppresses the Log, Output, and Program Editor windows when you enter a SAS/AF application

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Environment control: Initialization and operation

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= EXECMODES

Syntax

INITCMD " command-1 < DM-command-n >"

Syntax Description

command-1

specifies any SAS command; the first command in this list must be a command that invokes a window. Some valid values are:
AFA
AF
ASSIST
DESIGN
EIS
FORECAST
HELP
IMAGE
LAB
PHCLINICAL
PHKINETICS
PROJMAN
QUERY
RUNEIS
SQC
XADX.
Restriction: SAS/AF applications may not be available or licensed at all sites.
Interaction: If you specify FORECAST for command-1 , you cannot use DM-command-n .

DM-command-n

specifies a valid windowing command or text editor command. Separate multiple commands with semicolons. These commands are processed in sequence. If you use a windowing command that impacts flow, such as the BYE command, it may delay or prohibit processing.
Restriction: Do not use the DM-command-n argument when you enter a SAS/AF application that submits SAS statements or commands during initialization of the application, that is, during autoexec file initialization.

Details

The INITCMD system option suppresses the Log, Output, Program Editor, and Explorer windows when you enter a SAS/AF application, so that the SAS/AF application is the first screen you see. The suppressed windows do not appear, but you can activate them. You can use the ALTLOG option to direct log output for viewing. If windows are initiated by an autoexec file or the INITSTMT option, the window that is displayed by the INITCMD option is displayed last. When you exit an application that is invoked with the INITCMD option, your SAS session ends.

You can use the INITCMD option in a windowing environment only. Otherwise, the option is ignored and a warning message is issued. If command-1 is not a valid command, the option is ignored and a warning message is issued.

The following SAS execution mode invocation options have precedence over this option:

DMR
OBJECTSERVER.

INITCMD has the same precedence as all other SAS execution mode invocation options. If you specify INITCMD with another execution mode invocation option of equal precedence, SAS uses only the last option listed. See Order of Precedence on page 1445 for more information on invocation option precedence.

Examples

INITCMD "AFA c=mylib.myapp.primary.frame dsname=a.b"  INITCMD "ASSIST; FSVIEW SASUSER.CLASS"

INITSTMT= System Option

Specifies a SAS statement to be executed after any statements in the autoexec file and before any statements from the SYSIN= file

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Alias: IS=

Category: Environment control: Initialization and operation

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= EXECMODES

See: INITSTMT= System Option under Windows

Syntax

INITSTMT= statement

Syntax Description

statement

specifies any SAS statement or statements.

Operating Environment Information: On the command line or in a configuration file, the syntax is specific to your operating environment. The SYSIN= system option might not be supported by your operating environment. For details, see the SAS documentation for your operating environment.

Comparisons

INITSTMT= specifies the SAS statements to be executed at SAS initialization, and the TERMSTMT= system option specifies the SAS statements to be executed at SAS termination.

Examples

Here is an example of using this option on UNIX:

sas -initstmt '%put you have used the initstmt; data x; x=1;     run;'

INVALIDDATA= System Option

Specifies the value SAS is to assign to a variable when invalid numeric data are encountered

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Input control: Data Processing

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= INPUTCONTROL

Syntax

INVALIDDATA= character

Syntax Description

character

specifies the value to be assigned, which can be a letter (A through Z, a through z), a period (.), or an underscore (_). The default value is a period.

Details

The INVALIDDATA= system option specifies the value that SAS is to assign to a variable when invalid numeric data are read with an INPUT statement or the INPUT function.

LABEL System Option

Determines whether SAS procedures can use labels with variables

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: Procedure output

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LISTCONTROL

Syntax

LABEL | NOLABEL

Syntax Description

LABEL

permits SAS procedures to use labels with variables. The LABEL system option must be in effect before the LABEL option of any procedure can be used.

NOLABEL

does not allow SAS procedures to use labels with variables. If NOLABEL is specified, the LABEL option of a procedure is ignored.

Details

A label is a string of up to 256 characters that can be written by certain procedures in place of the variable s name.

_LAST_= System Option

Specifies the most recently created data set

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Files: SAS Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= SASFILES

Syntax

_LAST_= SAS-data-set

Syntax Description

SAS-data-set

specifies a SAS data set name.
Restriction: No data set options are allowed.
Restriction: Use libref.membername or membername syntax, not a string that is enclosed in quotation marks, to specify a SAS data set name.
- Note: You can use quotation marks in the libref.membername or membername syntax if the libref or member name is associated with a SAS/ACCESS engine that supports member names with syntax that requires quoting or name literal (n-literal) specification. For more information, see the SAS/ACCESS documentation.

Details

By default, SAS automatically keeps track of the most recently created SAS data set. Use the _LAST_= system option to override the default.

_LAST_= is not allowed with data set options.

LEFTMARGIN= System Option

Specifies to a printer the size of the margin on the left side of the page

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: ODS printing

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ODSPRINT

Syntax

LEFTMARGIN= margin-size | margin-size [margin-unit]

Syntax Description

margin-size

specifies the size of the margin.
Restriction: The left margin should be small enough so that the left margin plus the right margin is less than the width of the paper.
Interactions: Changing the value of this option may result in changes to the value of the LINESIZE= system option.

[margin-unit]

specifies the units for margin-size. The margin-unit can be in for inches or cm for centimeters.
Default: inches
Requirement: When you specify margin-unit, enclose the entire option value in double quotation marks.

Details

Note that all margins have a minimum that is dependent on the printer and the paper size.

For additional information on declaring an ODS printer destination, see ODS statements in SAS Output Delivery System: User s Guide .

For additional information on the SAS universal print facility, see Printing with SAS in SAS Language Reference: Concepts .

LINESIZE= System Option

Specifies the line size of SAS procedure output

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Alias: LS=

Category: Log and procedure output control: SAS log and procedure output

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LOG_LISTCONTROL

See: LINESIZE= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

LINESIZE= n | MIN | MAX | hex X

Syntax Description

specifies the number of lines.

MIN

sets the line size of the SAS procedure output to 64.

MAX

sets the line size of the SAS procedure output to 256.

hex X

specifies the line size of the SAS procedure output as a hexadecimal number. You must specify the value beginning with a number (0 “9), followed by an X. For example, the value 0FAx sets the line size of the SAS procedure output to 250.

Details

The LINESIZE= system option specifies the line size (printer line width) for the SAS log and the SAS output that are used by the DATA step and procedures.

LOGPARM= System Option

Controls when SAS log files are opened, closed, and, in conjunction with the LOG= system option, how they are named

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Restriction: LOGPARM= is valid only in line mode and in batch mode

Category: Log and procedure output control: SAS log

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LOGCONTROL

See: LOGPARM= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

LOGPARM =

< OPEN = APPEND | REPLACE | REPLACEOLD>

< ROLLOVER = AUTO | NONE | SESSION>

< WRITE = BUFFERED | IMMEDIATE>

Syntax Description

OPEN=

when a log file already exists, controls how the contents of the existing file are treated.
APPEND
- appends the log when opening an existing file. If the file does not already exist, a new file is created.

REPLACE
- overwrites the current contents when opening an existing file. If the file does not already exist, a new file is created.

REPLACEOLD
- replaces files that are more than one day old. If the file does not already exist, a new file is created.
- Operating Environment Information: For z/OS, see the SAS documentation for your operating environment for limitations on the use of OPEN=REPLACEOLD.
- Default: REPLACE

ROLLOVER=AUTO|NONE|SESSION

controls when or if the SAS log rolls over, that is, when the current log is closed and a new one is opened.
AUTO
- causes an automatic rollover of the log when the directives in the value of the LOG= option change, that is, the current log is closed and a new log file is opened.
- Interaction: The name of the new log file is determined by the value of the LOG= system option. If LOG= does not contain a directive, however, the name would never change, so the log would never roll over, even when ROLLOVER=AUTO.

NONE
- specifies that rollover does not occur, even when a change occurs in the name that is specified with the LOG= option.
- Interaction: If the LOG= value contains any directives, they do not resolve. For example, if Log="#b.log" is specified, the directive # does not resolve, and the name of the log file remains "#b.log".

SESSION
- at the beginning of each SAS session, opens the log file, resolves directives that are specified in the LOG= system option, and uses its resolved value to name the new log file. During the course of the session, no rollover is performed.

Default: NONE
Interaction: Rollover is triggered by a change in the value of the LOG= option.
Restriction: Rollover will not occur more often than once a minute.
See Also: LOG= system option

WRITE=

specifies when content is written to the SAS log.
BUFFERED
- writes content to the SAS log only when a buffer is full in order to increase efficiency.

IMMEDIATE
- writes to the SAS log each time that statements are submitted that produce content for the SAS log.

Default: BUFFERED

Details

The LOGPARM= system option controls the opening and closing of SAS log files when SAS is operating in batch mode or in line mode. This option also controls the naming of new log files, in conjunction with the LOG= system option and the use of directives in the value of LOG=.

Using directives in the value of the LOG= system option allows you to control when logs are open and closed and how they are named, based on real time events, such as time, month, day of week, etc.

Operating Environment Information: Under UNIX operating environments, you can begin directives with either the % symbol or the # symbol. Under Windows and z/OS, begin directives only with the # symbol. Under OpenVMS, begin directives only with the % symbol.

The following table contains a list of directives that are valid in LOG= values:

Table 8.3: Directives for Controlling the Name of SAS Log Files
Directive	Description	Range
%a or #a	Locale s abbreviated day of week	Sun “Sat
%A or #A	Locale s full day of week	Sunday “Saturday
%b or #b	Local s abbreviated month	Jan “Dec
%B or #B	Locale s full month	January “December
%C or #C	Century number	00 “99
%d or #d	Day of the month	01 “31
%H or #H	Hour	00 “23
%j or #j	Julian day	001 “366
%M or #M	Minutes	00 “59
%m or #m	Month number	01 “12
%n or #n	Current system nodename (without domain name)	00 “23
%s or #s	Seconds	00 “59
%u or #u	Day of week	1= Monday “7=Sunday
%v or #v	Unique identifier	alphanumeric string that creates a log filename that does not currently exist
%w or #w	Day of week	0=Sunday “6=Saturday
%W or #W	Week number (Monday as first day; all days in new year preceding first Monday are in week 00)	00 “53
%y or #y	Year without century	00 “99
%Y or #Y	Full year	1970 “9999
%%	Percent escape writes a single percent sign in the log filename.	%
##	Pound escape writes a single pound sign in the log filename.	#

Operating Environment Information: See the SAS companion for z/OS for limitations on the length of the log filename under z/OS.

Examples

Operating Environment Information: The LOGPARM= system option is executed when SAS is invoked. When you invoke SAS at your site, the form of the syntax is specific to your operating environment. See the SAS documentation for your operating environment for details.

Rolling over the log at a certain time and using directives to name the log according to the time: If this command is submitted at 9:43 AM, this example creates a log file called test0943.log, and the log rolls over each time the log filename changes. In this example, at 9:44 AM, the test0943.log file will be closed, and the test0944.log file will be opened.
```
sas -log "test%H%M.log" -logparm "rollover=auto" 
```
Preventing log rollover but using directives to name the log: For a SAS session that begins at 9:34 AM, this example creates a log file named test0934.log, and prevents the log file from rolling over:
```
sas -log "test%H%M.log" -logparm "rollover=session" 
```
Preventing log rollover and preventing the resolution of directives: This example creates a log file named test%H%M.log, ignores the directives, and prevents the log file from rolling over during the session:
```
sas -log "test%H%M.log" -logparm "rollover=none" 
```
Creating log files with unique identifiers: This example uses a unique identifier to create a log file with a unique name:
```
sas -log "test%v.log" -logparm "rollover=session" 
```

SAS creates a log file called test1.log, if test1.log does not already exist. If test1.log does exist, SAS continues to create filenames in this format ”test2.log and so on ”until it generates a log filename that does not exist.

Because %v is not a time-based format, the log file name will never change after it has been generated; therefore, the log will never roll over. In this situation, specifying ROLLOVER=SESSION is equivalent to specifying ROLLOVER=AUTO.

MACRO System Option

Specifies whether the SAS macro language is available

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Macro: SAS macro

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= MACRO

See: The MACRO System Option in SAS Macro Language: Reference .

MAPS= System Option

Specifies the locations to search for maps

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Graphics: Driver settings

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= GRAPHICS

See: MAPS= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment

Syntax

MAPS= location-of-maps

Syntax Description

location-of-maps

specifies either a libref or a physical path.

MAUTOLOCDISPLAY System Option

Displays the source location of the autocall macros in the log when the autocall macro is invoked

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Macro: SAS macro

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= MACRO

See: The MAUTOLOCDISPLAY System Option in SAS Macro Language: Reference .

MAUTOSOURCE System Option

Determines whether the macro autocall feature is available

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Macro: SAS macro

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= MACRO

See: The MAUTOSOURCE System Option in SAS Macro Language: Reference .

MCOMPILENOTE= System Option

Issues a NOTE to the log upon successful compilation of a macro

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Macro: SAS macro

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= MACRO

See: The MCOMPILENOTE System Option in SAS Macro Language: Reference .

MERGENOBY System Option

Controls whether a message is issued when MERGE processing occurs without an associated BY statement

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Files: SAS Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= SASFILES

Syntax

MERGENOBY= NOWARN | WARN | ERROR

Syntax Description

NOWARN

specifies that no warning message is issued. This is the default.

WARN

specifies that a warning message is issued.

ERROR

specifies that an error message is issued.

MERROR System Option

Controls whether SAS issues a warning message when a macro-like name does not match a macro keyword

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Macro: SAS macro

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= MACRO

See: The MERROR System Option in SAS Macro Language: Reference .

METAAUTORESOURCES= System Option

Identifies what resources to be assigned at SAS startup

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Communications: Meta Data

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= META

Syntax

METAAUTORESOURCES= resource-identifier

Syntax Description

resource-identifier

is a unique instance identifier that is assigned to a particular LogicalServer, ServerComponent, or ServerContext metadata object in a repository on the SAS Metadata Server. The maximum length is 32,000 characters. Note that if you specify either single or double quotation marks, they are not saved as part of the value.

METAAUTORESOURCES= accepts the following URI formats:
id
- is the unique instance identifier that is assigned to the metadata object. An example is metaautoresources=A3YBDKS4.AH000001 .

type / id
- is the metadata object type and the unique instance identifier that is assigned to the metadata object. An example is metaautoresources=LogicalServer/ A3YBDKS4.AH000001 .

type ?@ search-criteria
- is the metadata object type and an attribute value. An example is metaautoresources=LogicalServer?@Name= My Logical Server .

Details

This system option is one of a group of system options that define the default metadata information to use for the SAS session. Usually these values are set at installation time in the configuration file.

METAAUTORESOURCES= identifies resources that are to be assigned when you invoke SAS. The resources are defined in a repository on the SAS Metadata Server. For example, in SAS Management Console, you can define a list of librefs (library references) that are associated with the LogicalServer, ServerComponent, or ServerContext object. METAAUTORESOURCES= points to the object and assigns the associated libraries at startup.

Note that if the SAS Metadata Server is not available, this option is ignored.

METACONNECT= System Option

Identifies the named connection from the metadata user profiles to use as the default values for logging in to the SAS Metadata Server

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Communications: Meta Data

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= META

Syntax

METACONNECT= named-connection

Syntax Description

named-connection

is a named connection that is contained in the metadata user profiles. An example is metaconnect= My Profile . The maximum length is 256 characters. Quotation marks are required.
Default: NULL

Details

This system option is one of a group of system options that defines the default metadata information to use for the SAS session. Usually these values are set at installation time in the SAS system configuration file. However, the value for METACONNECT= can be changed at any time.

METACONNECT= identifies which named connection in the metadata user profiles to use as the default values in order to log in to the metadata server. Each named connection contains server connection properties such as the name of the host machine on which the server is invoked, the TCP port, and the user ID and password of the requesting user.

METACONNECT= searches for the named connection in the metadata user profile file that is specified by the METAPROFILE= system option. Here is an example:

The METAPROFILE= system option specifies the user profile file as userprofile.xml . The file contains three named connections: A , B , and C . Each named connection contains properties for logging in to the metadata server.
The METACONNECT= system option specifies the named connection as B .
The metadata server connection properties that are specified in the named connection B are loaded from the metadata user profile and used as the values for logging on to the metadata server.

To create or edit a metadata user profile, use the Metadata Server Connections dialog box, which you can open by executing the SAS windowing command METACON.

METAENCRYPTALG= System Option

Specifies the type of encryption to use when communicating with a SAS Metadata Server

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Alias: METAENCRYPTALGORITHM=

Category: Communications: Meta Data

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= META

Syntax

METAENCRYPTALG=NONE | RC2 | RC4 | DES | TRIPLEDES | SASPROPRIETARY | SAS

Syntax Description

NONE

specifies that no encryption is used for the SAS Metadata Server connection. This is the default.

RC2

specifies to use the RC2 encryption algorithm that was developed by RSA Security, Inc. The RC2 algorithm uses a variable key-size block cipher to encrypt 64-bit blocks. A single message can be expanded up to 8 bytes. The RC2 key size can range from 8 to 256 bits. RC2 encryption is an alternative to Data Encryption Standard (DES) encryption.

RC4

specifies to use the RC4 encryption algorithm that was developed by RSA Security, Inc. The RC4 algorithm is a variable key-size stream cipher that encrypts 1 byte at a time. The RC4 key size can range from 8 to 2,048 bits.

DES

specifies to use the Data Encryption Standard encryption algorithm that was developed by IBM. The DES algorithm is a block cipher that encrypts data in blocks of 64-bits by using a 56-bit key.

TRIPLEDES

specifies to use the TRIPLEDES encryption algorithm, which processes the DES algorithm sequentially three times on the data. A different 56-bit key is used for each iteration of the encryption. A single message can be expanded up to 8 bytes.

SASPROPRIETARY | SAS

specifies to provide basic encryption services in all operating environments. The SAS algorithm uses a 32-bit key and expands a single message by one-third. No additional product license is required.

Details

In order to specify a proprietary encryption algorithm for the METAENCRYPTALG= system option, you must have a license for SAS/SECURE.

The SAS Integrated Object Model (IOM) supports encryption connections to a SAS Metadata Server. You use the METAENCRYPTALG= option and the METAENCRYPTLEVEL= option to define the type and level of encryption that SAS clients are to use when they communicate with a SAS Metadata Server.

METAENCRYPTLEVEL= System Option

Specifies what is to be encrypted when communicating with a SAS Metadata Server

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Communications: Meta Data

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= META

Syntax

METAENCRYPTLEVEL=EVERYTHING | CREDENTIALS

Syntax Description

EVERYTHING

specifies to encrypt all communication to the SAS Metadata Server.

CREDENTIALS

specifies to encrypt only login credentials.

Details

In order to specify a a level of encryption for the METAENCRYPTLEVEL system option, you must have a license for SAS/SECURE.

The SAS Integrated Object Model (IOM) supports encryption connections to a SAS Metadata Server. You use the METAENCRYPTLEVEL option and the METAENCRYPTALG option to define the level and type of encryption that SAS clients are to use when they communicate with an OMR server.

METAID= System Option

Identifies the current installed version of SAS on the SAS Metadata Server

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Communications: Meta Data

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= META

Syntax

METAID= id

Syntax Description

is a unique identifier for the current SAS installation. This ID is established automatically during the installation process. An example is metaid=d3650 . The maximum length is 256 characters.

Details

METAID= identifies what resources are identified with a particular installation of SAS, that is, what metadata objects are associated with the installation.

METAPASS= System Option

Sets the default password for the SAS Metadata Server

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Communications: Meta Data

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= META

Syntax

METAPASS= password

Syntax Description

password

is the password that corresponds to the user identification on the SAS Metadata Server. The maximum length is 512 characters.

Note: To specify an encoded password, use the PWENCODE procedure in order disguise the text string, then enter the encoded password for METAPASS=. The SAS Metadata Server will decode the encoded password. See the PWENCODE procedure in Base SAS Procedures Guide .

Details

The network protocol, which is specified with the METAPROTOCOL= system option, determines whether a password is required. If the protocol is COM, a password is not required; if the protocol is BRIDGE, a password is required.

If the password is not specified but is required, and you are running interactively, SAS will display a dialog box in order to acquire the password for the session.

METAPORT= System Option

Sets the TCP port for the SAS Metadata Server

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Communications: Meta Data

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= META

Syntax

METAPORT= number

Syntax Description

number

is the TCP port that the SAS Metadata Server is listening to for connections. An example is metaport=5282 .
Default: 0
Range: 0 - 65535

Details

METAPROFILE= System Option

Identifies the file that contains SAS Metadata Server user profiles

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Communications: Meta Data

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= META

Syntax

METAPROFILE= XML-document

Syntax Description

XML “document

is the physical location of the XML document that contains metadata user profiles for logging on to the SAS Metadata Server. The physical name is the name that is recognized by the operating environment. An example is metaprofile= !SASROOT\metauser.xml . The maximum length is 32,000 characters. Quotation marks are required.

Details

METAPROFILE= specifies the physical location of the XML document that contains metadata user profiles. The file defines a list of named connections that contain server connection properties for logging in to the SAS Metadata Server, such as the name of the host machine on which the server is invoked, the TCP port, and the user ID and password of the requesting user.

The METACONNECT= system option then identifies which named connection in the user profiles to use.

To create or edit a metadata user profile, use the Metadata Server Connections dialog box, which you can open in one of the following ways:

selecting

File – New – Metadata Server Connection

from the Explorer window.
executing the SAS windowing command METACON.

METAPROTOCOL= System Option

Sets the network protocol for communicating with the SAS Metadata Server

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Communications: Meta Data

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= META

Default: BRIDGE

Syntax

METAPROTOCOL= BRIDGE | COM

Syntax Description

BRIDGE

specifies that the connection will use the SAS Bridge protocol. This is the default.

COM

specifies that the connection will use Microsoft COM/DCOM services.

Details

The protocol determines which additional connection values are required in order to connect to the metadata server:

Option	COM	BRIDGE
METASERVER=	Required	Required
METAPORT=	Required	Required
METAUSER=	Not Required	Required ^[*]
METAPASS=	Not Required	Required ^[*]
^[*] If not specified and you are running interactively, SAS will display a dialog box in order to acquire these values for the session.

METAREPOSITORY= System Option

Sets the default SAS Metadata Repository to use on the SAS Metadata Server

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Communications: Meta Data

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= META

Default: Default

Syntax

METAREPOSITORY= name

Syntax Description

name

is the name of the SAS Metadata Repository to use. The maximum length is 32,000 characters.
Default: If a repository name is not specified or if the name is invalid, a warning is written to the SAS log and the first repository on the SAS Metadata Server is used.

Details

METAREPOSITORY= identifies the metadata resources by setting the default SAS Metadata Repository to use.

METASERVER= System Option

Sets the address of the SAS Metadata Server

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Communications: Meta Data

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= META

Syntax

METASERVER= address

Syntax Description

address

is the network IP (Internet Protocol) address of the computer that hosts the SAS Metadata Server. An example is metaserver=d441.na.sas.com . The maximum length is 256 characters.

Details

METAUSER= System Option

Sets the default user identification for logging onto the SAS Metadata Server

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Communications: Meta Data

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= META

Syntax

METAUSER= id

Syntax Description

is the user identification for logging into the SAS Metadata Server. The maximum length is 256 characters.

Details

The network protocol, which is specified with the METAPROTOCOL= system option, determines whether a user identification is required. If the protocol is COM, a user identification is not required; if the protocol is BRIDGE, a user identification is required.

If the user identification is not specified and is required, and you are running interactively, SAS will display a dialog box in order to acquire the password for the session.

MFILE System Option

Specifies whether MPRINT output is directed to an external file

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Macro: SAS macro

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= MACRO

See: The MFILE System Option in SAS Macro Language: Reference .

MINDELIMITER= System Option

Specifies the character to be used as the delimiter for the macro IN operator

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Macro: SAS macro

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= MACRO

See: The MINDELIMITER System Option in SAS Macro Language: Reference .

MISSING= System Option

Specifies the character to print for missing numeric values

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: SAS log and procedure output

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LOG_LISTCONTROL

Syntax

MISSING=< > character < >

Syntax Description

< > character < >

specifies the value to be printed. The value can be any character. Single or double quotation marks are optional. The period is the default.

Operating Environment Information: The syntax that is shown above applies to the OPTIONS statement. However, when you specify the MISSING= system option on the command line or in a configuration file, the syntax is specific to your operating environment and may include additional or alternate punctuation. For details, see the SAS documentation for your operating environment.

MLOGIC System Option

Controls whether SAS traces execution of the macro language processor

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Macro: SAS macro

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= MACRO

See: The MLOGIC System Option in SAS Macro Language: Reference .

MLOGICNEST System Option

Displays macro nesting information in the MLOGIC output in the SAS log

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Macro: SAS macro

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= MACRO

See: The MLOGICNEST System Option in SAS Macro Language: Reference .

MPRINT System Option

Displays SAS statements that are generated by macro execution

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Macro: SAS macro

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= MACRO

See: The MPRINT System Option in SAS Macro Language: Reference .

MPRINTNEST System Option

Displays macro nesting information in the MPRINT output in the SAS log

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Macro: SAS macro

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= MACRO

See: The MPRINTNEST System Option in SAS Macro Language: Reference .

MRECALL System Option

Controls whether SAS searches the autocall libraries for a file that was not found during an earlier search

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Macro: SAS macro

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= MACRO

See: The MRECALL System Option in SAS Macro Language: Reference .

MSGLEVEL= System Option

Controls the level of detail in messages that are written to the SAS log

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: SAS log

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LOGCONTROL

Syntax

MSGLEVEL= N | I

Syntax Description

prints notes, warnings, and error messages only. This is the default.

prints additional notes pertaining to index usage, merge processing, sort utilities, and CEDA usage, along with standard notes, warnings, and error messages.

Details

Some of the conditions under which the MSGLEVEL= system option applies are as follows:

If MSGLEVEL=I, SAS writes informative messages to the SAS log about index processing. In general, when a WHERE expression is executed for a data set with indexes:
- if an index is used, a message displays that specifies the name of the index
- if an index is not used but one exists that could optimize at least one condition in the WHERE expression, messages provide suggestions that describe what you can do to influence SAS to use the index. For example, a message could suggest to sort the data set into index order or to specify more buffers.
- a message displays the IDXWHERE= or IDXNAME= data set option value if the setting can affect index processing.

If MSGLEVEL=I, SAS writes a warning to the SAS log when a MERGE statement would cause variables to be overwritten.
If MSGLEVEL=I, SAS writes a message that indicates which sorting product was used.
If MSGLEVEL=I, SAS writes a message that indicates when CEDA is being used to process a SAS file.

MSTORED System Option

Determines whether the macro facility searches a specific catalog for a stored, compiled macro

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Macro: SAS macro

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= MACRO

See: The MSTORED System Option in SAS Macro Language: Reference .

MSYMTABMAX= System Option

Specifies the maximum amount of memory that is available to macro variable symbol tables

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Macro: SAS macro

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= MACRO

See: MSYMTABMAX= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

See also: The MSYMTABMAX System Option in SAS Macro Language: Reference .

MULTENVAPPL System Option

Controls whether SAS/AF, SAS/FSP, and Base SAS windowing applications use a default on an operating environment specific font selector window

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement

Category: Environment control: Initialization and operation

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= EXECMODES

Syntax

MULTENVAPPL | NOMULTENVAPPL

Syntax Description

MULTENVAPPL

specifies that the Select Font window is displayed in the Frame region manager when you set the font for a region title. Use the Select Font window to select different font families, styles, weights, and point sizes.

NOMULTENVAPPL

specifies that SAS/AF and SAS/FSP software display a Font Selector window that is specific to the operating environment in which the application is executing.

Details

The MULTENVAPPL system option enables SAS/AF and SAS/FSP applications, when created, to use the features of the SAS System that are commonly supported in all operating environments. Use this option to ensure portability of applications to multiple operating environments. If NOMULTENVAPPL is in effect when a SAS/AF or SAS/FSP application is created, the application uses features of the SAS System that are more specific to your operating environment. If the application is ported to another environment, a message or a default action may occur, depending on the operating environment.

MVARSIZE= System Option

Specifies the maximum size for macro variables that are stored in memory

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Macro: SAS macro

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= MACRO

See: MVARSIZE= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

See also: The MVARSIZE System Option in SAS Macro Language: Reference .

NEWS= System Option

Specifies a file that contains messages to be written to the SAS log

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Environment control: Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ENVFILES

See: NEWS= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

NEWS= external-file

Syntax Description

external-file

specifies an external file.

Operating Environment Information: A valid file specification and its syntax are specific to your operating environment. Although the syntax is generally consistent with the command line syntax of your operating environment, it may include additional or alternate punctuation. For details, see the SAS documentation for your operating environment.

NOTES System Option

Writes notes to the SAS log

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: SAS log

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LOGCONTROL

Syntax

NOTES | NONOTES

Syntax Description

NOTES

specifies that SAS write notes to the SAS log.

NONOTES

specifies that SAS does not write notes to the SAS log. NONOTES does not suppress error and warning messages.

Details

You must specify NOTES for SAS programs that you send to SAS for problem determination and resolution.

NUMBER System Option

Controls the printing of page numbers

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: SAS log and procedure output

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LOG_LISTCONTROL

Syntax

NUMBER | NONUMBER

Syntax Description

NUMBER

specifies that SAS print the page number on the first title line of each page of SAS output.

NONUMBER

specifies that SAS not print the page number on the first title line of each page of SAS output.

OBJECTSERVER System Option

Specifies whether to put the SAS session into DCOM/CORBA server mode

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Environment control: Initialization and operation

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= EXECMODES

Syntax

OBJECTSERVER | NOOBJECTSERVER

Syntax Description

OBJECTSERVER

specifies that the SAS session be put into DCOM/CORBA server mode.
Interaction: OBJECTSERVER overrides all other SAS execution mode invocation options. See Order of Precedence on page 1445 for more information on invocation option precedence.

NOOBJECTSERVER

specifies that the SAS session not be put in DCOM/CORBA server mode.

Details

DCOM/CORBA server mode enables external clients to use all the features of the SAS System without running inside SAS.

OBS= System Option

Specifies when to stop processing observations or records

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Files: SAS Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= SASFILES

See: OBS= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment

Syntax

OBS= n | n K | n M | n G | n T | hex X | MIN | MAX

Syntax Description

n | n K | n M | n G | n T

specifies a number to indicate when to stop processing, with n being an integer. Using one of the letter notations results in multiplying the integer by a specific value. That is, specifying K (kilo) multiplies the integer by 1,024; M (mega) multiplies by 1,048,576; G (giga) multiplies by 1,073,741,824; or T (tera) multiplies by 1,099,511,627,776. For example, a value of 20 specifies 20 observations or records, while a value of 3m specifies 3,145,728 observations or records.

hex X

specifies a number to indicate when to stop processing as a hexadecimal value. You must specify the value beginning with a number (0 “9), followed by an X. For example, the hexadecimal value F8 must be specified as 0F8x in order to specify the decimal equivalent of 248. The value 2dx specifies the decimal equivalent of 45.

MIN

sets the number to 0 to indicate when to stop processing.
Interaction: If OBS=0 and the NOREPLACE option is in effect, then SAS can still take certain actions because it actually executes each DATA and PROC step in the program, using no observations. For example, SAS executes procedures, such as CONTENTS and DATASETS, that process libraries or SAS data sets. External files are also opened and closed. Therefore, even if you specify OBS=0, when your program writes to an external file with a PUT statement, an end-of-file mark is written, and any existing data in the file is deleted.

MAX

sets the number to indicate when to stop processing to the maximum number of observations or records, up to the largest eight-byte, signed integer, which is 2 ⁶³ -1, or approximately 9.2 quintillion. This is the default.

Details

OBS= tells SAS when to stop processing observations or records. To determine when to stop processing, SAS uses the value for OBS= in a formula that includes the value for OBS= and the value for FIRSTOBS=. The formula is

(obs - firstobs) + 1 = results

For example, if OBS=10 and FIRSTOBS=1 (which is the default for FIRSTOBS=), the result is 10 observations or records, that is (10 ˆ’ 1) + 1 = 10 . If OBS=10 and FIRSTOBS=2, the result is nine observations or records, that is, (10 ˆ’ 2) + 1 = 9 .

OBS= is valid for all steps during your current SAS session or until you change the setting.

You can also use OBS= to control analysis of SAS data sets in PROC steps.

If SAS is processing a raw data file, OBS= specifies the last line of data to read. SAS counts a line of input data as one observation, even if the raw data for several SAS data set observations is on a single line.

Comparisons

An OBS= specification from either a data set option or an INFILE statement option takes precedence over the OBS= system option.
While the OBS= system option specifies an ending point for processing, the FIRSTOBS= system option specifies a starting point. The two options are often used together to define a range of observations to be processed.

Examples

Example 1: Using OBS= to Specify When to Stop Processing Observations

This example illustrates the result of using OBS= to tell SAS when to stop processing observations. This example creates a SAS data set, executes the OPTIONS statement by specifying FIRSTOBS=2 and OBS=12, then executes the PRINT procedure. The result is 11 observations, that is, (12 ˆ’ 2) + 1 = 11 . The result of OBS= in this situation appears to be the observation number that SAS processes last, because the output starts with observation 2, and ends with observation 12, but this is only a coincidence .

data Ages;     input Name $ Age;     datalines;  Miguel 53  Brad 27  Willie 69  Marc 50  Sylvia 40  Arun 25  Gary 40  Becky 51  Alma 39  Tom 62  Kris 66  Paul 60  Randy 43  Barbara 52  Virginia 72  ;  options firstobs=2 obs=12;  proc print data=Ages;  run;

Output 8.5: PROC PRINT Output Using OBS= and FIRSTOBS=

The SAS System                    1     Obs    Name      Age       2    Brad       27       3    Willie     69       4    Marc       50       5    Sylvia     40       6    Arun       25       7    Gary       40       8    Becky      51       9    Alma       39      10    Tom        62      11    Kris       66      12    Paul       60

Example 2: Using OBS= with WHERE Processing

This example illustrates the result of using OBS= along with WHERE processing. The example uses the data set that was created in Example 1, which contains 15 observations, and the example assumes a new SAS session with the defaults FIRSTOBS=1 and OBS=MAX.

First, here is the PRINT procedure with a WHERE statement. The subset of the data results in 12 observations:

proc print data=Ages;     where Age LT 65;  run;

Output 8.6: PROC PRINT Output Using a WHERE Statement

The SAS System                     1     Obs    Name       Age       1    Miguel      53       2    Brad        27       4    Marc        50       5    Sylvia      40       6    Arun        25       7    Gary        40       8    Becky       51       9    Alma        39      10    Tom         62      12    Paul        60      13    Randy       43      14    Barbara     52

Executing the OPTIONS statement with OBS=10 and the PRINT procedure with the WHERE statement results in 10 observations, that is, (10 ˆ’ 1) + 1 = 10 . Note that with WHERE processing, SAS first subsets the data, then applies OBS= to the subset.

options obs=10;  proc print data=Ages;     where Age LT 65;  run;

Output 8.7: PROC PRINT Output Using a WHERE Statement and OBS=

The SAS System                     2       Obs    Name      Age         1    Miguel     53         2    Brad       27         4    Marc       50         5    Sylvia     40         6    Arun       25         7    Gary       40         8    Becky      51         9    Alma       39        10    Tom        62        12    Paul       60

The result of OBS= appears to be how many observations to process, because the output consists of 10 observations, ending with the observation number 12. However, the result is only a coincidence. If you apply FIRSTOBS=2 and OBS=10 to the subset, the result is nine observations, that is, (10 ˆ’ 2) + 1 = 9 . OBS= in this situation is neither the observation number to end with nor how many observations to process; the value is used in the formula to determine when to stop processing.

options firstobs=2 obs=10;  proc print data=Ages;     where Age LT 65;  run;

Output 8.8: PROC PRINT Output Using WHERE Statement, OBS=, and FIRSTOBS=

The SAS System                     3       Obs    Name      Age         2    Brad       27         4    Marc       50         5    Sylvia     40         6    Arun       25         7    Gary       40         8    Becky      51         9    Alma       39        10    Tom        62        12    Paul       60

Example 3: Using OBS= When Observations Are Deleted

This example illustrates the result of using OBS= for a data set that has deleted observations. The example uses the data set that was created in Example 1, with observation 6 deleted. The example also assumes a new SAS session with the defaults FIRSTOBS=1 and OBS=MAX.

First, here is PROC PRINT output of the modified file:

&proc print data=Ages;  run;

Output 8.9: PROC PRINT Output Showing Observation 6 Deleted

The SAS System                     1     Obs    Name        Age       1    Miguel       53       2    Brad         27       3    Willie       69       4    Marc         50       5    Sylvia       40       7    Gary         40       8    Becky        51       9    Alma         39      10    Tom          62      11    Kris         66      12    Paul         60      13    Randy        43      14    Barbara      52      15    Virginia     72

Executing the OPTIONS statement with OBS=12, then the PRINT procedure, results in 12 observations, that is, (12 ˆ’ 1) + 1 = 12 :

options obs=12;  proc print data=Ages;  run;

Output 8.10: PROC PRINT Output Using OBS=

The SAS System                     2      Obs    Name      Age        1    Miguel     53        2    Brad       27        3    Willie     69        4    Marc       50        5    Sylvia     40        7    Gary       40        8    Becky      51        9    Alma       39       10    Tom        62       11    Kris       66       12    Paul       60       13    Randy      43

The result of OBS= appears to be how many observations to process, because the output consists of 12 observations, ending with the observation number 13. However, if you apply FIRSTOBS=2 and OBS=12, the result is 11 observations, that is (12 ˆ’ 2) + 1 = 11 . OBS= in this situation is neither the observation number to end with nor how many observations to process; the value is used in the formula to determine when to stop processing.

options firstobs=2 obs=12;  proc print data=Ages;  run;

Output 8.11: PROC PRINT Output Using OBS= and FIRSTOBS=

The SAS System                     3      Obs    Name      Age        2    Brad       27        3    Willie     69        4    Marc       50        5    Sylvia     40        7    Gary       40        8    Becky      51        9    Alma       39       10    Tom        62       11    Kris       66       12    Paul       60       13    Randy      43

ORIENTATION= System Option

Specifies the paper orientation to use when printing to a printer

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: ODS printing

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ODSPRINT

Syntax

ORIENTATION=PORTRAIT | LANDSCAPE | REVERSEPORTRAIT | REVERSELANDSCAPE

Syntax Description

PORTRAIT

specifies the paper orientation as portrait. This is the default.

LANDSCAPE

specifies the paper orientation as landscape.

REVERSEPORTRAIT

specifies the paper orientation as reverse portrait to enable printing on paper with prepunched holes. The reverse side of the page is printed upside down.

REVERSELANDSCAPE

specifies the paper orientation as reverse landscape to enable printing on paper with prepunched holes. The reverse side of the page is printed upside down.

Details

Changing the value of this option may result in changes to the values of the portable LINESIZE= and PAGESIZE= system options.

Operating Environment Information: Most SAS system options are initialized with default settings when you invoke SAS. However, the default settings for some SAS system options vary both by operating environment and by site. For details, see the SAS documentation for your operating environment.

For additional information on declaring an ODS printer destination, see ODS statements in SAS Output Delivery System: User s Guide

For additional information on the SAS universal print facility, see Printing with SAS in SAS Language Reference: Concepts .

OVP System Option

Overprints output lines

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: SAS log

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LOG_LISTCONTROL

Syntax

OVP | NOOVP

Syntax Description

OVP

prints underscores beneath the word in error when SAS encounters an error in a SAS statement. This option may enable overprinting in some procedures.

NOOVP

prints dashes on the next line below the word in error when SAS encounters an error in a SAS statement.

Details

When output is displayed to a terminal, OVP is overridden and is changed to NOOVP.

PAGEBREAKINITIAL System Option

Begins the SAS log and listing files on a new page

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Log and procedure output control: SAS log and procedure output

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LOG_LISTCONTROL

See: PAGEBREAKINITIAL System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

PAGEBREAKINITIAL | NOPAGEBREAKINITIAL

Syntax Description

PAGEBREAKINITIAL

begins the SAS log and listing files on a new page.

NOPAGEBREAKINITIAL

does not begin the SAS log and listing files on a new page.

Details

The PAGEBREAKINITIAL option inserts a page break at the start of the SAS log and listing files. The default behavior is not to begin the SAS log and listing files on a new page.

PAGENO= System Option

Resets the page number

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: Procedure output

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LISTCONTROL

See: PAGENO= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

PAGENO= n | n K | hex X | MIN | MAX

Syntax Description

n | n K

specifies the page number in multiples of 1 ( n ); 1,024 ( n K). For example, a value of 8 sets the page number to 8 and a value of 3k sets the page number to 3,072.

hex X

specifies the page number as a hexadecimal number. You must specify the value beginning with a number (0-9), followed by an X. For example, the value 2dx sets the page number to 45.

MIN

sets the page number to the minimum number, 1.

MAX

specifies the maximum page number as the largest signed, four “byte integer that is representable in your operating environment.

Details

The PAGENO= system option specifies a beginning page number for the next page of output that SAS produces. Use PAGENO= to reset page numbering during a SAS session.

PAGESIZE= System Option

Specifies the number of lines that compose a page of SAS output

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Alias: PS=

Category: Log and procedure output control: SAS log and procedure output

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LOG_LISTCONTROL

See: PAGESIZE= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

PAGESIZE= n | n K | hex X | MIN | MAX

Syntax Description

n | n K

specifies the number of lines that compose a page in terms of number of pages or units of 1,024 pages.

hex

specifies the number of lines that compose a page as a hexadecimal number. You must specify the value beginning with a number (0 “9), followed by an X. For example, the value 2dx sets the number of lines that compose a page to 45 lines.

MIN

sets the number of lines that compose a page to the minimum setting, 15.

MAX

sets the number of lines that compose a page to the maximum setting, 32,767.

Operating Environment Information: The syntax that is shown here applies to the OPTIONS statement. On the command line or in a configuration file, valid values and range vary with your operating environment. For details, see the SAS documentation for your operating environment.

PAPERDEST= System Option

Specifies to a printer the printer bin to receive printed output

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: ODS printing

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ODSPRINT

Syntax

PAPERDEST= printer-bin-name

Syntax Description

printer-bin-name

specifies the bin to receive printed output.
Restriction: Maximum length is 200 characters.

For additional information on declaring an ODS printer destination, see ODS statements in SAS Output Delivery System: User s Guide .

For additional information on the SAS universal print facility, see Printing with SAS in SAS Language Reference: Concepts .

PAPERSIZE= System Option

Specifies to a printer the paper size to use

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Environment control: Language control

Log and procedure output control: ODS printing

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LANGUAGECONTROL

ODSPRINT

Syntax

PAPERSIZE= paper_size_name | ( width_value <,> height_value ) | ( width_value <,> height_value ) | (width_value height_value)

Syntax Description

paper_size_name

specifies a predefined paper size. The default is LETTER. Maximum length is 200 characters.
Default: Letter
Valid Values: Refer to the Registry Editor, or use PROC REGISTRY to obtain a listing of supported paper sizes. Additional values can be added.
Restriction: The maximum length is 200 characters.

( width_value , height_value )

specifies paper width and height as positive floating-point values.
Default: inches
Range: in or cm for width_value, height_value

Details

If you specify a predefined paper size or a custom size that is not supported by your printer, LETTER is used.

Fields specifying values for paper sizes may either be separated by blanks or commas.

Note: Changing the value of this option may result in changes to the values of the portable LINESIZE= and PAGESIZE= system options.

For additional information on declaring an ODS printer destination, see ODS statements in SAS Output Delivery System: User s Guide

For additional information on the SAS universal print facility, see Printing with SAS in SAS Language Reference: Concepts .

PAPERSOURCE= System Option

Specifies to a printer the paper bin to use for printing

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: ODS printing

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ODSPRINT

Syntax

PAPERSOURCE= printer-bin-name

Syntax Description

printer-bin-name

specifies the bin that sends paper to the printer.

Operating Environment Information: For instructions on how to specify a printer bin, see the SAS documentation for your operating environment.

For additional information on declaring an ODS printer destination, see ODS statements in SAS Output Delivery System: User s Guide .

For additional information on the SAS universal print facility, see Printing with SAS in SAS Language Reference: Concepts .

PAPERTYPE= System Option

Specifies to a printer the type of paper to use for printing

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: ODS printing

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ODSPRINT

Syntax

PAPERTYPE= paper-type-string

Syntax Description

paper-type-string

specifies the type of paper. Maximum length is 200.
Range: Values vary by site and operating environment.
Default: Values vary by site and operating environment.

Operating Environment Information: For instructions on how to specify the type of paper, see the SAS documentation for your operating environment. There is a very large number of possible values for this option.

For additional information on declaring an ODS printer destination, see ODS statements in SAS Output Delivery System: User s Guide

For additional information on the SAS universal print facility, see Printing with SAS in SAS Language Reference: Concepts .

PARM= System Option

Specifies a parameter string that is passed to an external program

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Environment control: Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ENVFILES

Syntax

PARM=< > string < >

Syntax Description

< > string < >

specifies a character string that contains a parameter.

Examples

This statement passes the parameter X=2 to an external program:

options parm='x=2';

Operating Environment Information: Other methods of passing parameters to external programs depend on your operating environment and on whether you are running in interactive line mode or batch mode. For details, see the SAS documentation for your operating environment.

PARMCARDS= System Option

Specifies the file reference to use as the PARMCARDS file

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Environment control: Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ENVFILES

See: PARMCARDS= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

PARMCARDS= file-ref

Syntax Description

file-ref

specifies the file reference to use as the PARMCARDS= file.

Details

The PARMCARDS= system option specifies the file reference of a file that SAS opens when it encounters a PARMCARDS (or PARMCARDS4) statement in a procedure.

SAS writes all data lines after the PARMCARDS (or PARMCARDS4) statement to the file until it encounters a delimiter line of either one or four semicolons. The file is then closed and made available to the procedure to read. There is no parsing or macro expansion of the data lines.

PRINTERPATH= System Option

The PRINTERPATH= option controls which Universal Printing printer will be used for printing.

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: ODS printing

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ODSPRINT

Syntax

PRINTERPATH= ( printer-name <fileref>)

Syntax Description

printer-name

must be one of the printers defined in the Registry Editor under
Core – Printing – Printers
Requirement: When the printer name contains blanks, you must enclose it in quotation marks.

fileref

is an optional fileref. If a fileref is specified, it must be defined with a FILENAME statement or external allocation. If a fileref is not specified, the default output destination defined in the Registry Editor under
Core – Printing – Printers – Printer Setup – Output
is used. Parentheses are required only when a fileref is specified.

Details

If the PRINTERPATH= option is not a null string, then Universal Printing will be used. If the PRINTERPATH= option does not specify a valid Universal Printing printer, then the default Universal Printer will be used.

Comparisons

A related system option SYSPRINT specifies which operating system printer will be used for printing. PRINTERPATH= specifies which Universal Printing printer will be used for printing.

The operating system printer specified by the SYSPRINT option is used when the PRINTERPATH= option is a null string.

Examples

The following example specifies an output destination that is different from the default:

options PRINTERPATH=(corelab out);  filename out 'your_file';

Operating Environment Information: In some operating environments, such as the PC, the SYSPRINT option enables operating-environment printing and disables SAS printing by setting the PRINTERPATH= option to a null string. Also, in some operating environments, setting the PRINTERPATH= option might not change the setting of the PMENU print button, which might continue to use operating environment printing. See the SAS documentation for your operating environment for more information.

For additional information on declaring an ODS printer destination, see ODS statements in SAS Output Delivery System: User s Guide .

For additional information on the SAS universal print facility, see Printing with SAS in SAS Language Reference: Concepts .

PRINTINIT System Option

Initializes the SAS file

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Log and procedure output control: Procedure output

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LISTCONTROL

See: PRINTINIT System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

PRINTINIT | NOPRINTINIT

Syntax Description

PRINTINIT

empties the SAS output file and resets the file attributes upon initialization.
Tip: Specifying PRINTINIT causes the SAS output file to be emptied even when output is not generated.

NOPRINTINIT

preserves the existing output file if no new output is generated. This is the default.
Tip: Specifying NOPRINTINIT causes the SAS output file to be overwritten only when new output is generated.

Details

Operating Environment Information: The behavior of the PRINTINIT system option depends on your operating environment. For additional information, see the SAS documentation for your operating environment.

PRINTMSGLIST System Option

Controls the printing of extended lists of messages to the SAS log

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: SAS log

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LOGCONTROL

Syntax

PRINTMSGLIST | NOPRINTMSGLIST

Syntax Description

PRINTMSGLIST

prints the entire list of messages to the SAS log.

NOPRINTMSGLIST

prints only the top-level message to the SAS log.

Details

For Version 7 and later versions, the return code subsystem allows for lists of return codes. All of the messages in a list are related, in general, to a single error condition, but give different levels of information. This option enables you to see the entire list of messages or just the top-level message. The default is set to "ON."

QUOTELENMAX System Option

Specifies that SAS write to the SAS log a warning about the maximum length for strings in quotation marks

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Environment control: Error handling

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ERRORHANDLING

Syntax

QUOTELENMAX | NOQUOTELENMAX

Syntax Description

QUOTELENMAX

specifies that SAS write to the SAS log a warning for the maximum length for strings in quotation marks to the SAS log

NOQUOTELENMAX

specifies that SAS does not write a warning for the maximum length for strings in quotation marks to the SAS log

Details

If a string in quotation marks is too long, SAS writes the following warning to the SAS log:

WARNING 32-169: The quoted string currently being processed has become                  more than 262 characters long.  You may have unbalanced                  quotation marks.

If you are running a program that has long strings in quotation marks, and you do not want to see this warning, use the NOQUOTELENMAX system option to turn off the warning.

REPLACE System Option

Controls whether you can replace permanently stored SAS data sets

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Files: SAS Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= SASFILES

Syntax

REPLACE | NOREPLACE

Syntax Description

REPLACE

specifies that a permanently stored SAS data set can be replaced with another SAS data set of the same name.

NOREPLACE

specifies that a permanently stored SAS data set cannot be replaced with another SAS data set of the same name. This prevents the accidental replacement of existing SAS data sets.

Details

This option has no effect on data sets in the WORK library, even if you use the WORKTERM= system option to store the WORK library files permanently.

Comparisons

The REPLACE= data set option overrides the REPLACE system option.

REUSE= System Option

Specifies whether or not SAS reuses space when observations are added to a compressed SAS data set

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Files: SAS Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= SASFILES

Syntax

REUSE=YES | NO

Syntax Description

YES

tracks free space and reuses it whenever observations are added to an existing compressed data set.

does not track free space. This is the default.

Details

If space is reused, observations that are added to the SAS data set are inserted wherever enough free space exists, instead of at the end of the SAS data set.

Specifying REUSE=NO results in less efficient usage of space if you delete or update many observations in a SAS data set. However, the APPEND procedure, the FSEDIT procedure, and other procedures that add observations to the SAS data set continue to add observations to the end of the data set, as they do for uncompressed SAS data sets.

You cannot change the REUSE= attribute of a compressed SAS data set after it is created. This means that space is tracked and reused in the compressed SAS data set according to the REUSE= value that was specified when the SAS data set was created, not when you add and delete observations. Even with REUSE=YES, the APPEND procedure will add observations at the end.

Comparisons

The REUSE= data set option overrides the REUSE= system option.

PERFORMANCE NOTE: When using COMPRESS=YES and REUSE=YES system options settings, observations cannot be addressed by observation number.

Note that REUSE=YES takes precedence over the POINTOBS=YES data set option setting.

RIGHTMARGIN= System Option

Specifies the size of the margin at the right side of the page for printed output directed to the ODS printer destination

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: ODS printing

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ODSPRINT

Syntax

RIGHTMARGIN= margin-size | margin-size [margin-unit]

Syntax Description

margin-size

specifies the size of the margin.
Restriction: The right margin should be small enough so that the left margin plus the right margin is less than the width of the paper.
Interactions: Changing the value of this option may result in changes to the value of the LINESIZE= system option.

[margin-unit]

specifies the units for margin-size. The margin-unit can be in for inches or cm for centimeters.
Default: inches
Requirement: When you specify margin-unit, enclose the entire option value in double quotation marks.

Details

Note that all margins have a minimum that is dependent on the printer and the paper size.

For additional information on declaring an ODS printer destination, see the ODS statements in SAS Output Delivery System: User s Guide

RSASUSER System Option

Controls access to the SASUSER library

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Environment control: Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ENVFILES

See: RSASUSER System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

RSASUSER | NORSASUSER

Syntax Description

RSASUSER

opens the SASUSER library in input (that is, read-only) mode.

NORSASUSER

opens the SASUSER library in update (that is, read-write) mode.

Details

The RSASUSER system option is useful for sites that use a single SASUSER library for all users and want to prevent users from modifying it. However, it is not useful when users use SAS/ASSIST software, because SAS/ASSIST requires writing to the SASUSER library. For details, see the SAS documentation for your operating environment.

S= System Option

Specifies the length of statements on each line of a source statement and the length of data on lines that follow a DATALINES statement

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Input control: Data Processing

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= INPUTCONTROL

See: S= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

S= n | n K | n M | n G | n T | hex X | MIN | MAX

Syntax Description

n | n K | n M | n G | n T

specifies the length of statements and data in terms of 1 (bytes); 1,024 (kilobytes); 1,048,576 (megabytes); 1,073,741,824 (gigabytes); or 1,099,511,627,776 (terabytes). For example, a value of 8 specifies 8 bytes, and a value of 3m specifies 3,145,728 bytes.

hex X

specifies the length of statements and data as a hexadecimal number. You must specify the value beginning with a number (0 “9), followed by an X. For example, the value 2dx sets the length of statements and data to 45.

MIN

sets the length of statements and data to 0, and requires SAS to use a default value.

MAX

sets the length of statements and data to the largest unsigned, four-byte integer that is representable in your operating environment.

Details

Input can be from either fixed- or variable-length records. Both fixed-length and variable-length records can be either unsequenced or sequenced. Unsequenced records do not contain sequence fields. Fixed-length sequenced records contain sequence fields at the end of each record. Variable-length sequenced records contain sequence fields at the beginning of each record.

SAS determines whether the input contains sequence numbers that are based on the value of S. If S=0 and you have fixed-length records, SAS inspects the last n columns (where n is the value of the SEQ= option) of the first sequence field, which is at the end of the first line of input. If those columns contain numeric characters, SAS assumes that the file contains sequence fields and ignores the last eight columns of each line.

If S ‰ 0 or MAX and you have fixed-length records, SAS uses that value as the length of the source or data to be scanned, ignores everything beyond that length on each line, and does not look for sequence numbers.

If S=0 and you have variable-length records, SAS inspects the last n columns (where n is the value of SEQ=) of the first sequence field, which is at the beginning of the first line of input. If those columns contain numeric characters, SAS assumes the file contains sequence fields and ignores the first eight columns of each line.

If S ‰ 0 or MAX and you have variable-length records, SAS uses that value as the starting column of the source or data to be scanned, ignores everything before that length on each line, and does not look for sequence numbers.

Comparisons

The S= system option operates exactly like the S2= system option except that S2= controls input only from a %INCLUDE statement, an autoexec file, or an autocall macro file.

S2= System Option

Specifies the length of secondary source statements

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Input control: Data Processing

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= INPUTCONTROL

See: S2= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

S2=S | n

Syntax Description

uses the current value of the S= system option to compute the record length of text that comes from a %INCLUDE statement, an autoexec file, or an autocall macro file.

uses the value of n to compute the record length of text that comes from a %INCLUDE statement, an autoexec file, or an autocall macro file.

Comparisons

The S2= system option operates exactly like the S= system option except that the S2= option controls input from only a %INCLUDE statement, an autoexec file, or an autocall macro file.

SASAUTOS= System Option

Specifies the autocall macro library

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Environment control: Files

Macro: SAS macro

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ENVFILES

MACRO

See: SASAUTOS= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

See also: The SASAUTOS System Option in SAS Macro Language: Reference .

SASHELP= System Option

Specifies the location of the SASHELP library

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Environment control: Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ENVFILES

See: SASHELP= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

SASHELP= library-specification

Syntax Description

library-specification

identifies an external library.

Details

The SASHELP= system option is set during the installation process and normally is not changed after installation.

Operating Environment Information: A valid external library specification is specific to your operating environment. On the command line or in a configuration file, the syntax is specific to your operating environment. For details, see the SAS documentation for your operating environment.

SASMSTORE= System Option

Specifies the libref of a SAS data library that contains a catalog of stored, compiled SAS macros

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Macro: SAS macro

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= MACRO

See: The SASMSTORE System Option in SAS Macro Language: Reference .

SASUSER= System Option

Specifies the name of the SASUSER library

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Environment control: Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ENVFILES

See: SASUSER= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

SASUSER= SAS-data-library

Syntax Description

SAS-data-library

identifies a SAS data library that contains a user s profile catalog..

Details

The library and catalog are created automatically by SAS; you do not have to create them explicitly.

Operating Environment Information: A valid library specification and its syntax are specific to your operating environment. On the command line or in a configuration file, the syntax is specific to your operating environment. For details, see the SAS documentation for your operating environment.

SEQ= System Option

Specifies the length of the numeric portion of the sequence field in input source lines or data lines

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Input control: Data Processing

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= INPUTCONTROL

Syntax

SEQ= n | MIN | MAX | hex X

Syntax Description

specifies the length in terms of bytes.

MIN

sets the minimum length to 1.

MAX

sets the maximum length to 8.
Tip: When SEQ=8, all eight characters in the sequence field are assumed to be numeric.

hex X

specifies the length as a hexadecimal. You must specify the value beginning with a number (0 “9), followed by an X.

Details

Unless the S= or S2= system option specifies otherwise, SAS assumes an eight-character sequence field; however, some editors place some alphabetic information (for example, the file name) in the first several characters. The SEQ= value specifies the number of digits that are right justified in the eight-character field. For example, if you specify SEQ=5 for the sequence field AAA00010, SAS looks at only the last five characters of the eight-character sequence field and, if the characters are numeric, treats the entire eight-character field as a sequence field.

SERROR System Option

Controls whether SAS issues a warning message when a defined macro variable reference does not match a macro variable

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Macro: SAS macro

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= MACRO

See: The SERROR System Option in SAS Macro Language: Reference .

SETINIT System Option

Controls whether site license information can be altered

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: System administration: Installation

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= INSTALL

Syntax

SETINIT | NOSETINIT

Syntax Description

SETINIT

in a non-windowing environment, enables you to change license information by running the SETINIT procedure.

NOSETINIT

does not allow you to alter site license information after installation.

Details

SETINIT is set in the installation process and is not normally changed after installation. The SETINIT option is valid only in a non-windowing SAS session.

SKIP= System Option

Specifies the number of lines to skip at the top of each page of SAS output

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: Procedure output

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LISTCONTROL

Syntax

SKIP= n | hex X | MIN | MAX

Syntax Description

specifies the range of lines to skip from 0 to 20.

MIN

sets the number of lines to skip to 0, so no lines are skipped .

MAX

sets the number of lines to skip to 20.

hex

specifies the number of lines to skip as a hexadecimal number. You must specify the value beginning with a number (0 “9), followed by an X.

For example, the value 0ax specifies to skip 10 lines.

Details

The location of the first line is relative to the position established by carriage control or by the forms control buffer on the printer. Most sites define this so that the first line of a new page begins three or four lines down the form. If this spacing is sufficient, specify SKIP=0 so that additional lines are not skipped.

The SKIP= value does not affect the maximum number of lines printed on each page, which is controlled by the PAGESIZE= system option.

SOLUTIONS System Option

Specifies whether the SOLUTIONS menu choice appears in all SAS windows and whether the SOLUTIONS folder appears in the SAS Explorer window

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Environment control: Display

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ENVDISPLAY

Syntax

SOLUTIONS | NOSOLUTIONS

Syntax Description

SOLUTIONS

specifies that the SOLUTIONS menu choice appears in all SAS windows and that the SOLUTIONS folder appears in the SAS Explorer window tree view.

NOSOLUTIONS

specifies that the SOLUTIONS menu choice does not appear in all SAS windows and the SOLUTIONS folder does not appear in the SAS Explorer window tree view.

SORTDUP= System Option

Controls the SORT procedure s application of the NODUP option to physical or logical records

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Sort: Procedure options

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= SORT

Syntax

SORTDUP=PHYSICAL | LOGICAL

Syntax Description

PHYSICAL

removes duplicates based on all the variables that are present in the data set. This is the default.

LOGICAL

removes duplicates based on only the variables remaining after the DROP= and KEEP= data set options are processed.
Interactions: The SORTDUP option is relevant only when DROP= or KEEP= data set options are specified on the input data set for the SORT procedure. The NODUP option is a SORT procedure option that removes duplicate records. For further information about how NODUP and SORTDUP interact, see the Base SAS Procedures Guide .

SORTEQUALS System Option

Controls how PROC SORT orders observations with identical BY values in the output data set

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System OPTIONS window

Category: Sort: Procedure options

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= SORT

Syntax

SORTEQUALS | NOSORTEQUALS

SORTEQUALS

specifies that observations with identical BY variable values are to retain the same relative positions in the output data set as in the input data set.

NOSORTEQUALS

specifies that no resources be used to control the order of observations with identical BY variable values in the output data set.
Interaction: To achieve the best sorting performance when using the THREADS= system option, specify THREADS=YES and NOSORTEQUALS.
Tip: To save resources, use NOSORTEQUALS when you do not need to maintain a specific order of observations with identical BY variable values.

Comparisons

The SORTEQUALS and NOSORTEQUALS system options set the sorting behavior of PROC SORT for your SAS session. The EQUAL or NOEQUAL option in the PROC SORT statement overrides the setting of the system option for an individual PROC step and specifies the sorting behavior for that PROC step only.

SORTSEQ= System Option

Specifies a language-specific collation sequence for the SORT procedure to use in the current SAS session

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Sort: Procedure options

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= SORT

See: The SORTSEQ= system option in SAS National Language Support (NLS): User s Guide

SORTSIZE= System Option

Specifies the amount of memory that is available to the SORT procedure

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Sort: Procedure options

System administration: Memory

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= MEMORY

SORT

See: SORTSIZE= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

SORTSIZE= n | n K | n M | n G | n T | hex X | MIN | MAX

Syntax Description

n | n K | n M | n G | n T

specifies the amount of memory in terms of 1 (byte); 1,024 (kilobytes); 1,048,576 (megabytes); 1,073,741,824 (gigabytes); or 1,099,511,627,776 (terabytes). For example, a value of 4000 specifies 4,000 bytes and a value of 2m specifies 2,097,152 bytes. If n =0, the sort utility uses its default. Valid values for SORTSIZE range from 0 to 9,223,372,036,854,775,807.

hex X

specifies the amount of memory as a hexadecimal number. This number must begin with a number (0-9), followed by an X.

For example, 0fffx specifies 4095 bytes of memory.

MIN

specifies the minimum amount of memory available.

MAX

specifies the maximum amount of memory available.

Operating Environment Information: Values for MIN and MAX will vary, depending on your operating environment. For details, see the the SAS documentation for your operating environment

Details

Generally, the value of the SORTSIZE= system option should be less than the physical memory available to your process. If the SORT procedure needs more memory than you specify, the system creates a temporary utility file.

PERFORMANCE NOTE: Proper specification of SORTSIZE= can improve sort performance by restricting the swapping of memory that is controlled by the operating environment.

SOURCE System Option

Controls whether SAS writes source statements to the SAS log

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: SAS log

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LOGCONTROL

Syntax

SOURCE | NOSOURCE

Syntax Description

SOURCE

writes SAS source statements to the SAS log.

NOSOURCE

does not write SAS source statements to the SAS log.

Details

The SOURCE system option does not affect whether statements from the autoexec file, from a file read with %INCLUDE, or from an autocall macro are printed in the SAS log.

Note: SOURCE must be in effect when you execute SAS programs that you want to send to SAS for problem determination and resolution.

SOURCE2 System Option

Controls whether SAS writes secondary source statements from included files to the SAS log

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: SAS log

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LOGCONTROL

Syntax

SOURCE2 | NOSOURCE2

Syntax Description

SOURCE2

writes to the SAS log secondary source statements from files that have been included by %INCLUDE statements.

NOSOURCE2

does not write secondary source statements to the SAS log.

Details

Note: SOURCE2 must be in effect when you execute SAS programs that you want to send to SAS for problem determination and resolution.

SPOOL System Option

Controls whether SAS writes SAS statements to a utility data set in the WORK data library

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Input control: Data Processing

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= INPUTCONTROL

Syntax

SPOOL | NOSPOOL

Syntax Description

SPOOL

writes SAS statements to a utility data set in the WORK data library for later use by a %INCLUDE or %LIST statement, or by the RECALL command, within a windowing environment.

NOSPOOL

does not write SAS statements to a utility data set. Specifying NOSPOOL accelerates execution time, but you cannot use the %INCLUDE and %LIST statements to resubmit SAS statements that were executed earlier in the session.

Examples

Specifying SPOOL is especially helpful in interactive line mode because you can resubmit a line or lines of code by referring to the line numbers. Here is an example of code including line numbers:

00001  data test;  00002     input w x y z;  00003     datalines;  00004  411.365 101.945 323.782 512.398  00005  ;

If SPOOL is in effect, you can resubmit line number 1 by submitting this statement:

%inc 1;

You also can resubmit a range of lines by placing a colon (:) or dash (-) between the line numbers. For example, these statements resubmit lines 1 through 3 and 4 through 5 of the above example:

%inc 1:3;  %inc 4-5;

STARTLIB System Option

Allows previous library references (librefs) to persist in a new SAS session

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Files: External files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= EXTFILES

Syntax

STARTLIB | NOSTARTLIB

Syntax Description

STARTLIB

causes library references (librefs) specified in a previous SAS session to persist in a new SAS session. This option only affects librefs that were assigned in the New Library window and selected in that window to be enabled at startup.

NOSTARTLIB

does not autoassign librefs at startup. This option only affects librefs that were assigned in the New Library window and selected in that window to be enabled at startup.

Details

You must set this option by using the New Library window. Enter the name of your libref and select the checkbox labeled Enable at startup to save your librefs. The only way to create librefs that can be autoassigned is through this window. The STARTLIB system option controls whether or not the librefs assigned in this window are assigned at startup.

SUMSIZE= System Option

Specifies a limit on the amount of memory that is available for data summarization procedures when class variables are active

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: System administration: Memory

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= MEMORY

Syntax

SUMSIZE= n | n K | n M | n G | n T | hex X | MIN | MAX

Syntax Description

n | n K | n M | n G | n T

specifies the amount of memory in terms of 1 (bytes); 1,024 (kilobytes); 1,048,576 (megabytes); 1,073,741,824 (gigabytes); or 1,099,511,627,776 (terabytes). When n =0, the default value, the amount of memory is determined by values of the MEMSIZE option and the REALMEMSIZE option. Valid values for SUMSIZE range from 0 to 2 ⁽ ⁿ ^-1) where n is the data width in bits (32 or 64) of the operating system.

hex X

specifies the amount of memory as a hexadecimal number. You must specify the value beginning with a number (0 “9), followed by an X.

For example, a value of 0fffx specifies 4,095 bytes of memory.

MIN

specifies the minimum amount of memory available.

MAX

specifies the maximum amount of memory available.

Details

The SUMSIZE= system option affects the MEANS, OLAP, REPORT, SUMMARY, SURVEYFREQ, SURVEYLOGISTIC, SURVEYMEANS, and TABULATE procedures.

Proper specification of SUMSIZE= can improve procedure performance by restricting the swapping of memory that is controlled by the operating environment.

Generally, the value of the SUMSIZE= system option should be less than the physical memory available to your process. If the procedure you are using needs more memory than you specify, the system creates a temporary utility file.

If the value of SUMSIZE is greater than the values of the MEMSIZE option and the REALMEMSIZE option, SAS uses the values of the MEMSIZE option and REALMEMSIZE option.

SYMBOLGEN System Option

Controls whether the results of resolving macro variable references are written to the SAS log

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Macro: SAS macro

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= MACRO

See: The SYMBOLGEN System Option in SAS Macro Language: Reference .

SYNTAXCHECK System Option

Enables syntax check mode for multiple steps in non-interactive or batch SAS sessions

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Environment control: Error handling

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ERRORHANDLING

Syntax

SYNTAXCHECK | NOSYNTAXCHECK

Syntax Description

SYNTAXCHECK

enables syntax check mode for statements that are submitted within a non-interactive or batch SAS session.

NOSYNTAXCHECK

does not enable syntax check mode for statements that are submitted within a non-interactive or batch SAS session.

Details

If a syntax or semantic error occurs in a DATA step after the SYNTAXCHECK option is set, then SAS enters syntax check mode, which remains in effect from the point where SAS encountered the error to the end of the code that was submitted. After SAS enters syntax mode, all subsequent DATA step statements and PROC step statements are validated.

While in syntax check mode, only limited processing is performed. For a detailed explanation of syntax check mode, see Syntax Check Mode in the section Error Processing in SAS in SAS Language Reference: Concepts .

CAUTION:

Place the OPTIONS statement that enables SYNTAXCHECK before the step for which you want it to take effect. If you place the OPTIONS statement inside a step, then SYNTAXCHECK will not take effect until the beginning of the next step.

CAUTION:

Setting NOSYNTAXCHECK might cause a loss of data. Manipulating and deleting data by using untested code might result in a loss of data if your code contains invalid syntax. Be sure to test code completely before placing it in a production environment.

NOSYNTAXCHECK enables continuous processing of statements regardless of syntax error conditions.

SYNTAXCHECK is ignored in the SAS windowing environment and in SAS line-mode sessions.

Comparisons

You use the SYNTAXCHECK system option to validate syntax in a non-interactive or a batch SAS session. You use the DMSSYNCHK system option to validate syntax in an interactive session by using the SAS windowing environment.

The ERRORCHECK= option can be set to enable or disable syntax check mode for the LIBNAME statement, the FILENAME statement, the %INCLUDE statement, and the LOCK statement in SAS/SHARE. If you specify the NOSYNTAXCHECK option and the ERRORCHECK=STRICT option, then SAS does not enter syntax check mode when an error occurs.

SYSPARM= System Option

Specifies a character string that can be passed to SAS programs

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Environment control: Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ENVFILES

See: SYSPARM= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

See also: The SYSPARM System Option in SAS Macro Language: Reference .

SYSPRINTFONT= System Option

Sets the font for the current default printer

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: Procedure output

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LISTCONTROL

See: SYSPRINTFONT= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

SYSPRINTFONT =( face-name < weight >< style >< character-set >< point-size >

<NAMED printer-name | DEFAULT | ALL>)

Syntax Description

face-name

specifies the name of the font face to use for printing. This must be a valid, case-sensitive font face name that matches the name of the font as it is installed on your operating environment.
Requirement: If face-name consists of more than one word, you must be enclose the value in double quotation marks. The quotation marks are stored with the face-name.
Requirement: When you use the SYSPRINTFONT= option with multiple arguments, you must enclose the arguments in parentheses.

weight

specifies the weight of the font, such as BOLD. A list of valid values for your specified printer appears in the SAS: Printer Properties window.
Default: NORMAL

style

specifies the style of the font, such as Italic. A list of valid values for your specified printer appears in the SAS: Printer Properties window.
Default: REGULAR

character-set

specifies the character set to use for printing.
Default: If the font does not support the specified character set, the default character set is used. If the default character set is not supported by the font, the font s default character set is used.
Range: Valid values are listed in the SAS: Printer Properties window, under the Font tab.

point-size

specifies the point size to use for printing. If you omit this argument, SAS uses the default.
Requirement: Point-size must be an integer. It must also be placed after the face-name, weight, style, and character-set.

NAMED printer-name

specifies the printer to which these settings apply.
Requirement: The printer-name must exactly match the name shown in the Print Setup dialog box (except that the printer name is not case sensitive).
Requirement: If it is more than one word, the printer-name must be enclosed in double quotation marks. The quotation marks are stored with the printer-name.

DEFAULT

specifies that these settings are applied to the current default printer by default.

ALL

updates the font information for all installed printers.

Details

The SYSPRINTFONT system option sets the font to use when printing to the current default printer, to another printer specified, or to all printers.

In some cases, you may need to specify the font from a SAS program. In this case, you may still want to view the SAS: Printer Properties window for allowable names, styles weights, and sizes for your fonts. For examples of how to apply SYSPRINTFONT in a SAS program, see Examples on page 1610.

If you specified SYSPRINTFONT with DEFAULT or without a keyword and later use the Print Setup dialog box to change the current default printer, then the font used with the current default printer will be the font that was specified with SYSPRINTFONT, if the specified font exists on the printer. If the current printer does not support the specified font, the printer s default font is used.

The following fonts are widely supported:

Helvetica
Times
Courier
Symbol.

By specifying one of these fonts in a SAS program, you can usually avoid returning an error. If that particular font is not supported, a similar-looking font prints in its place.

Note: As an alternative, you can set fonts with the SAS: Printer Properties window, under the Font tab. From the drop-down menu select File > Print Setup > Properties > Font. This is fast and easy because you choose your font, style, weight, size, and character set from a list of options your selected printer supports.

Examples

Specifying a Font to the Default Printer

This example specifies the 12 “point Times font on the default printer:
```
options sysprintfont=(''times'' 12); 
```

Specifying a Font to a Named Printer

This example specifies to use Courier on the printer named HP LaserJet IIIsi Postscript. Specify the printer name in the same way that it is specified in the SAS Print Setup dialog box:
```
options sysprintfont= (''courier'' named ''hp laserjet 111s, postscript''); 
```

TERMINAL System Option

Determines whether SAS evaluates the execution mode and, if needed, resets the option

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Environment control: Initialization and operation

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= EXECMODES

Syntax

TERMINAL | NOTERMINAL

Syntax Description

TERMINAL

causes SAS to evaluate the execution environment and to set the option to NOTERMINAL if an interactive environment (physical display) is not available. Specify TERMINAL when you use a windowing environment.

NOTERMINAL

causes SAS not to evaluate the execution environment. When you specify NOTERMINAL, SAS uses option settings that are associated with the BATCH system option.

Details

SAS defaults to the appropriate setting for the TERMINAL system option based on whether the session is invoked in the foreground or the background. If NOTERMINAL is specified, requester windows are not displayed.

The TERMINAL option is normally used with the execution modes of windowing mode, interactive line mode, and noninteractive mode.

TERMSTMT= System Option

Specifies the SAS statements to be executed when the SAS session is terminated

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Environment control: Initialization and operation

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= EXECMODES

Syntax

TERMSTMT = statement(s)

Syntax Description

statement(s)

is one or more SAS statements.
Maximum length: 2,048 characters

Operating Environment Information: In some operating system environments there is a limit to the size of the value for TERMSTMT=. To circumvent this limitation, you can use the %INCLUDE statement.

Details

TERMSTMT= is fully supported in batch mode. In interactive modes, TERMSTMT= is executed only when you submit the ENDSAS statement from an editor window to terminate the SAS session. Terminating SAS by any other means in interactive mode results in TERMSTMT= being executed.

An alternate method for specifying TERMSTMT= is to put a %INCLUDE statement at the end of a batch file or submit a %INCLUDE statement before terminating the SAS session in interactive mode.

Comparisons

TERMSTMT= specifies the SAS statements to be executed at SAS termination, and INITSTMT= specifies the SAS statements to be executed at SAS initialization.

TEXTURELOC= System Option

Specifies the location of textures and images that are used by ODS styles

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: ODS printing

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ODSPRINT

Syntax

TEXTURELOC= location

Syntax Description

location

specifies the location of textures and images used by ODS styles. Location can refer either to the physical name of the directory or to a URL reference to the directory.
Requirement: If location is not a fileref, then you must enclose the value in quotation marks.
Restriction: Only one location is allowed per statement.
Requirement: The files in the directory must be in the form of gif, jpeg, or bitmap.
Requirement: Location must refer to a directory.

THREADS System Option

Specifies that SAS use threaded processing if it is available

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: System administration: Performance

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= PERFORMANCE

Syntax

THREADS | NOTHREADS

Syntax Description

THREADS

specifies to use threaded processing for SAS applications that support it.
Interaction If THREADS is specified either as a SAS system option or in PROC SORT and another program has the input SAS data set open for reading, writing, or updating using the SPD engine, then the procedure might fail and write a subsequent message to the SAS log.

NOTHREADS

specifies not to use threaded processing for running SAS applications that support it.
Interaction: When you specify NOTHREADS, CPUCOUNT= is ignored unless you specify a procedure option that overrides the NOTHREADS system option.

Details

The THREADS system option enables some legacy SAS processes that are thread-enabled to take advantage of multiple CPUs by threading the processing and I/O operations. This achieves a degree of parallelism that generally reduces the real time to completion for a given operation at the possible cost of additional CPU resources. In SAS 9 and SAS 9.1, the thread-enabled processes include

Base SAS engine indexing
Base SAS procedures: SORT, SUMMARY, MEANS, REPORT, TABULATE, and SQL
SAS/STAT procedures: GLM, LOESS, REG, ROBUSTREG.

In some cases, for instance, processing small data sets, SAS might determine to use a single-threaded operation.

Set this option to NOTHREADS to achieve SAS behavior most compatible with releases prior to SAS 9, if you find that threading does not improve performance or if threading might be related to an unexplainable problem. See the specific documentation for each product to determine if it has functionality that is enabled by the THREADS option.

Comparisons

The system option THREADS determines when threaded processing is in effect. The SAS system option CPUCOUNT= suggests how many system CPUs are available for use by thread-enabled SAS procedures.

TOOLSMENU System Option

Specifies to include or suppress the Tools menu in windows that display menus

Default: TOOLSMENU

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Environment control: Display

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ENVDISPLAY

Syntax

TOOLSMENU | NOTOOLSMENU

Syntax Description

TOOLSMENU

specifies to include the Tools menu in the main menu.

NOTOOLSMENU

specifies to suppress the Tools menu in the main menu.

Details

The Tools pull-down menu is available from all SAS applications. To suppress the Tools pull-down menu, specify NOTOOLSMENU when you invoke SAS.

TOPMARGIN= System Option

Specifies the size of the margin at the top of the page for the ODS printer destination

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Log and procedure output control: ODS printing

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ODSPRINT

Syntax

TOPMARGIN= margin-size | margin-size [margin-unit]

Syntax Description

margin-size

specifies the size of the margin.
Restriction: The bottom margin should be small enough so that the top margin plus the bottom margin is less than the height of the paper.
Interactions: Changing the value of this option may result in changes to the value of the PAGESIZE= system option.

[margin-unit]

specifies the units for margin-size. The margin-unit can be in for inches or cm for centimeters.
Default: inches
Requirement: When you specify margin-unit, enclose the entire option value in double quotation marks.

Details

Note that all margins have a minimum that is dependent on the printer and the paper size.

For additional information on declaring an ODS printer destination, see the ODS statements in SAS Output Delivery System: User s Guide

TRAINLOC= System Option

Specifies the base location of SAS online training courses

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Environment control: Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ENVFILES

Syntax

TRAINLOC= base-URL

Syntax Description

base-URL

specifies the address where the SAS online training courses are located.

Details

The TRAINLOC= system option specifies the base location (typically a URL) of SAS online training courses. These online training courses are typically accessed from an intranet server or a local CD-ROM.

Examples

Some examples of the base-URL are:

"file://e:\onlintut"
" http://server.abc.com/SAS/sastrain "

TRANTAB= System Option

Specifies the translation tables that are used by various parts of SAS

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Environment control: Language control

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= LANGUAGECONTROL

See: The TRANTAB= system option in SAS National Language Support (NLS): User s Guide

UNIVERSALPRINT System Option

Specifies whether to enable Universal Printing services

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Log and procedure output control: ODS printing

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ODSPRINT

Syntax

UNIVERSALPRINT | NOUNIVERSALPRINT

Syntax Description

UNIVERSALPRINT

routes all printing through the Universal Print services.
Alias: UPRINT

NOUNIVERSALPRINT

disables printing through the Universal Print services.
Alias: NOUPRINT

Details

Universal Printing services provides interactive and batch printing capabilities to SAS applications and procedures. The ODS PRINTER destination uses Universal Print services whether or not the UNIVERSALPRINT option is enabled.

USER= System Option

Specifies the default permanent SAS data library

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Environment control: Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ENVFILES

See: USER= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

USER= library-specification

Syntax Description

library-specification

specifies the libref or physical name of a SAS data library.

Details

If this option is specified, you can use one-level names to reference permanent SAS files in SAS statements. However, if USER=WORK is specified, SAS assumes that files referenced with one-level names refer to temporary work files.

UTILLOC= System Option

Specifies one or more file system locations in which applications can store utility files

Valid in: configuration file and SAS invocation

Category: Files: SAS Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= SASFILES

See: UTILLOC= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

UTILLOC= WORK | location | ( location-1... location-n )

Syntax Description

WORK

specifies that SAS create utility files in the same directory as the WORK library.

location

specifies the location of an existing directory for utility files that are created by applications. Enclose location in single or double quotation marks when the location contains spaces.
Operating Environment Information: On z/OS each location is a list of DCB and SMS options to be used when creating utility files.

( location-1 ... location-n )

specifies a list of existing directories that can be accessed in parallel for utility files that are created by applications. A single utility file cannot span locations. Enclose a location in single or double quotation marks when the location contains spaces.
Operating Environment Information: On z/OS, each location is a list of DCB and SMS options to be used when creating utility files.
Requirement: If you have more than one location, then you must enclose the list of locations in parentheses.

Details

In SAS 9 and 9.1, thread-enabled SAS applications are able to create temporary utility files that can be accessed in parallel by separate threads.

UUIDCOUNT= System Option

Specifies the number of UUIDs to acquire each time the UUID Generator Daemon is used

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Environment control: Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ENVFILES

Syntax

UUIDCOUNT= n | MIN | MAX

Syntax Description

specifies the number of UUIDs to acquire.
Range: 0 “1000
- Note: Zero indicates that the UUID Generator Daemon is not required.

Default: 100

MIN | MAX

MIN specifies that the number of UUIDs to acquire is zero, indicating that the UUID Generator Daemon is not required.
MAX specifies that 1000 UUIDs at a time should be acquired from the UUID Generator Daemon.

Details

If a SAS application will generate a large number of UUIDs, this value can be adjusted at any time during a SAS session to reduce the number of times that the SAS session would have to contact the SAS UUID Generator Daemon.

UUIDGENDHOST= System Option

Identifies the host and the port of the UUID Generator Daemon

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Environment control: Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ENVFILES

Syntax

UUIDGENDHOST= host-string

Syntax Description

host-string

is either of the form hostname:port or an LDAP URL. The value must be in one string. Enclose a LDAP URL string with quotation marks.

Details

When SAS executes under operating environments other than Windows NT, SAS does not guarantee that all UUIDs are unique. Use the SAS UUID Generator Daemon (UUIDGEN) to ensure unique UUIDs on operating environments other than Windows NT.

Examples

Specifying hostname:port as the host-string :

sas -UUIDGENDHOST 'myhost.com:5306'

sas UUIDGENDHOST= 'myhost.com:5306'

Specifying an LDAP URL as the host-string :

"ldap://ldap-hostname/sasspawner-distinguished-name"

A more detailed example of an LDAP URL as the host-string :

"ldap://ldaphost/sasSpawnercn=UUIDGEND,sascomponent=sasServer, cn=ABC,o=ABC Inc,c=US"

Specifying your binddn and password, if your LDAP server is secure:

"ldap://ldap-hostname/sasSpawner-distinguished-name????  bindname=binddn,password=bind-password"

An example with a bindname value and a password value:
```
"ldap://ldaphost/  sasSpawnercn=UUIDGEND,sascomponent=sasServer,cn=ABC,o=ABC Inc,c=US  ????bindname=cn=me%2co=ABC Inc %2cc=US,  password=itsme" 
```
Note: When specifying your bindname and password, commas that are a part of your bindname and your password must be replaced with the string "%2c" . In the previous example, the bindname is as follows:
```
cn=me,o=ABC Inc,c=US 
```

V6CREATEUPDATE= System Option

Controls or monitors the creation of new Version 6 data sets or the updating of existing Version 6 data sets.

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Environment control: Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= SASFILES

Syntax

V6CREATEUPDATE = ERROR | NOTE | WARNING | IGNORE

Syntax Description

ERROR

specifies that an ERROR is written to the SAS log when the V6 engine is used to open a SAS data set for creation or update. The attempt to create or update a SAS data set in Version 6 format will fail. Reading Version 6 data sets will not generate an error.

NOTE

specifies that a NOTE is written to the SAS log when the V6 engine is used; all other processing occurs normally.

WARNING

specifies that a WARNING is written to the SAS log when the V6 engine is used; all other processing occurs normally.

IGNORE

disables the V6CREATEUPDATE= system option. Nothing is written to the SAS log when the V6 engine is used.

VALIDFMTNAME= System Option

Controls the length for the names of formats and informats that can be used when creating new SAS data sets and format catalogs

Default: LONG

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Files: SAS Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= SASFILES

Syntax

VALIDFMTNAME=LONG | FAIL | WARN

Syntax Description

LONG

specifies that format and informat names can be up to 32 alphanumeric characters. This is the default.

FAIL

specifies that using a format or informat name that is longer than eight characters results in an error message.
Tip: Specify this setting for using formats and informats that are valid in both SAS System 9 and previous releases of SAS.
Interaction: If you explicitly specify the V7 or V8 Base SAS engine, such as in a LIBNAME statement, then SAS automatically uses the VALIDFMTNAME=FAIL behavior for data sets that are associated with those engines.

WARN

is the same as FAIL, except that if a format or informat name exceeds eight characters, a warning message is displayed to remind you that the format or informat cannot be used with releases prior to SAS System 9.

Details

SAS System 9 enables you to define format and informat names up to 32 characters. Previous releases were limited to eight characters. The VALIDFMTNAME= system option applies to format and informat names in both data sets and format catalogs. VALIDFMTNAME= does not control the length of format and informat names. It only controls the length of format and informat names that you associate with variables when you create a SAS data set.

If a SAS data set has a variable with a long format or informat name, which means that a release prior to SAS System 9 cannot read it, then you can remove the long name so that the data set can be accessed by an earlier release. However, in order to retain the format attribute of the variable, an identical format with a short name would have to be applied to the variable.

Note: After you create a format or informat using a name that is longer than eight characters, if you rename it using eight or fewer characters, a release prior to SAS System 9 cannot use the format or informat. You must recreate the format or informat using the shorter name.

VALIDVARNAME= System Option

Controls the type of SAS variable names that can be created and processed during a SAS session

Default: V7

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Files: SAS Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= SASFILES

Syntax

VALIDVARNAME=V7 | UPCASE | ANY

Syntax Description

indicates that a variable name
- can be up to 32 characters in length.
- must begin with a letter of the Latin alphabet (A - Z, a - z) or the underscore character. Subsequent characters can be letters of the Latin alphabet, numerals, or underscores.
- cannot contain blanks.
- cannot contain special characters except for the underscore.
- can contain mixed-case letters. SAS stores and writes the variable name in the same case that is used in the first reference to the variable. However, when SAS processes a variable name, SAS internally converts it to uppercase. You cannot, therefore, use the same variable name with a different combination of uppercase and lowercase letters to represent different variables. For example, cat , Cat , and CAT all represent the same variable.
- cannot be assigned the names of special SAS automatic variables (such as _N_ and _ERROR_) or variable list names (such as _NUMERIC_, _CHARACTER_, and _ALL_).

UPCASE

indicates that the variable name follows the same rules as V7, except that the variable name is uppercase, as in earlier versions of SAS.

ANY

indicates that a variable name
- can be up to 32 characters in length.
- can begin with or contain any characters, including blanks.

CAUTION:
- Available for Base SAS procedures and SAS/STAT procedure only. Any other use of this option is considered experimental and might cause undetected errors.

Note: If you use any characters other than the ones that are valid when the VALIDVARNAME system option is set to V7 (letters of the Latin alphabet, numerals, or underscores), then you must express the variable name as a name literal and you must set VALIDVARNAME=ANY. See SAS Name Literals and Avoiding Errors When Using Name Literals in SAS Language Reference: Concepts .

can contain mixed-case letters. SAS stores and writes the variable name in the same case that is used in the first reference to the variable. However, when SAS processes a variable name, SAS internally converts it to uppercase. You cannot, therefore, use the same variable name with a different combination of uppercase and lowercase letters to represent different variables. For example, cat , Cat , and CAT all represent the same variable.

VIEWMENU System Option

Specifies to include or suppress the View menu in windows that display menus

Default: VIEWMENU

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Environment control: Display

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ENVDISPLAY

Syntax

VIEWMENU | NOVIEWMENU

Syntax Description

VIEWMENU

specifies to include the View menu in the main menu.

NOVIEWMENU

specifies to suppress the View menu in the main menu.

Details

The View pull-down menu is available from all SAS applications. To suppress the View pull-down menu, specify NOVIEWMENU when you invoke SAS.

VNFERR System Option

Controls how SAS responds when a _NULL_ data set is used

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Environment control: Error handling

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ERRORHANDLING

Syntax

VNFERR | NOVNFERR

Syntax Description

VNFERR

specifies that SAS either issue a warning and error message, or set _ERROR_=1 and stop processing, or both if the error is severe enough to interrupt processing.

NOVNFERR

specifies that SAS issue a warning for a variable that is not found, but not set _ERROR_=1 or stop processing.

Details

The VNFERR system option specifies whether SAS sets the error flag (_ERROR_=1) for a missing variable when a _NULL_ data set (or a data set that is bypassed by the operating environment control language) is used in a MERGE statement within a DATA step.

Comparisons

VNFERR is similar to the BYERR system option, which issues an error message and stops processing if the SORT procedure attempts to sort a _NULL_ data set.
VNFERR is similar to the DSNFERR system option, which generates an error message when a SAS data set is not found.

WORK= System Option

Specifies the WORK data library

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Environment control: Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ENVFILES

See: WORK= System Option in the documentation for your operating environment.

Syntax

WORK= library-specification

Syntax Description

library-specification

specifies the libref or physical name of the storage space where all data sets with one-level names are stored. This library must exist.

Details

This library is deleted at the end of your SAS session by default. To prevent the files from being deleted, specify the NOWORKTERM system option.

WORKINIT System Option

Initializes the WORK data library

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation

Category: Environment control: Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ENVFILES

Syntax

WORKINIT | NOWORKINIT

Syntax Description

WORKINIT

erases files that exist from a previous SAS session in an existing WORK library at SAS invocation.

NOWORKINIT

does not erase files from the WORK library at SAS invocation.

Comparisons

The WORKINIT system option initializes the WORK data library and erases all files from a previous SAS session at SAS invocation. The WORKTERM system option controls whether or not SAS erases WORK files at the end of a SAS session.

WORKTERM System Option

Controls whether SAS erases WORK files at the termination of a SAS session

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Environment control: Files

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= ENVFILES

Syntax

WORKTERM | NOWORKTERM

Syntax Description

WORKTERM

erases the WORK files at the termination of a SAS session.

NOWORKTERM

does not erase the WORK files.

Details

Although NOWORKTERM prevents the WORK data sets from being deleted, it has no effect on initialization of the WORK library by SAS. SAS normally initializes the WORK library at the start of each session, which effectively destroys any pre-existing information.

Comparisons

Use the NOWORKINIT system option to prevent SAS from erasing existing WORK files on invocation. Use the NOWORKTERM system option to prevent SAS from erasing existing WORK files on termination.

YEARCUTOFF= System Option

Specifies the first year of a 100-year span that will be used by date informats and functions to read a two “digit year

Valid in: configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window

Category: Input control: Data Processing

PROC OPTIONS GROUP= INPUTCONTROL

Syntax

YEARCUTOFF= nnnn | nnnnn

Syntax Description

nnnn | nnnnn

specifies the first year of the 100-year span.
Range: 1582 “19900
Default: 1920

Details

The YEARCUTOFF= value is the default that is used by various date and datetime informats and functions.

If the default value of nnnn (1920) is in effect, the 100-year span begins with 1920 and ends with 2019. Therefore, any informat or function that uses a two-digit year value that ranges from 20 to 99 assumes a prefix of 19. For example, the value 92 refers to the year 1992.

The value that you specify in YEARCUTOFF= can result in a range of years that span two centuries. For example, if you specify YEARCUTOFF=1950, any two-digit value between 50 and 99 inclusive refers to the first half of the 100-year span, which is in the 1900s. Any two-digit value between 00 and 49, inclusive, refers to the second half of the 100-year span, which is in the 2000s. The following figure illustrates the relationship between the 100-year span and the two centuries if YEARCUTOFF=1950.

Figure 8.1: A 100 “Year Span with Values in Two Centuries

Note: YEARCUTOFF= has no effect on existing SAS dates or dates that are read from input data that include a four “digit year, except those with leading zeroes. For example, 0076 with yearcutoff=1990 indicates 1976.

APPLETLOC= System Option

Syntax

Syntax Description

Details

Examples

ARMAGENT= System Option

Syntax

Syntax Description

Details

See Also

ARMLOC= System Option

Syntax

Syntax Description

Details

See Also

ARMSUBSYS= System Option

Syntax

Syntax Description

Details

Examples

See Also

ASYNCHIO System Option

Syntax

Syntax Description

AUTHPROVIDERDOMAIN= System Option

Syntax

Syntax Description

Details

Examples

AUTOSAVELOC= System Option

Syntax

Syntax Description

BATCH System Option

Syntax

Syntax Description

Details

BINDING= System Option

Syntax

Syntax Description

Details

See Also

BOTTOMMARGIN= System Option

Syntax

Syntax Description

Details

See Also

BUFNO= System Option

Syntax Description

Details

Comparisons

See Also

BUFSIZE= System Option

Syntax

Syntax Description

Details

Comparisons

See Also

BYERR System Option

Syntax

Syntax Description

Comparisons

See Also

BYLINE System Option

Syntax

Syntax Description

Details

See Also

BYSORTED System Option

Syntax

Syntax Description

Details

See Also

CAPS System Option

Syntax

Syntax Description

Comparisons

See Also

CARDIMAGE System Option

Syntax