What Are Table Definitions, Table Elements, and Table Attributes?

A table definition describes how to generate the output for a tabular output object. (Most ODS output is tabular.) A table definition determines the order of column headers and the order of variables , as well the overall look of the output object that uses it. For information about customizing the table definition, see the topic on the TEMPLATE procedure in the SAS Output Delivery System: User's Guide .

In addition to the parts of the table definition that order the headers and columns , each table definition contains or references table elements . A table element is a collection of table attributes that apply to a particular header, footer, or column. Typically, a table attribute specifies something about the data rather than about its presentation. For example, FORMAT specifies the SAS format, such as the number of decimal places. However, some table attributes describe presentation aspects of the data, such as how many blank characters to place between columns.

Note: The attributes of table definitions that control the presentation of the data have no effect on output objects that go to the LISTING or OUTPUT destination. However, the attributes that control the structure of the table and the data values do affect listing output.

For information on table attributes, see the section on table attributes in the SAS Output Delivery System: User's Guide .