Chapter 3: Output Delivery System and the DATA Step

Why Use ODS with the DATA Step?

If you are writing DATA step reports now, you are already using ODS. Simple listing output, the traditional DATA step output, is routed though ODS by default. For over 20 years , SAS users have been able to create highly customized reports as simple listing output, which uses a monospace typefont. With the advent of ODS, however, you have a broad range of choices for printing your customized DATA step reports:

• You can produce DATA step reports in many different formats, such as HTML, RTF, PS (PostScript), or PDF.

• You can create the report in multiple formats at the same time.

• You can also produce the report in different formats at a later time without rerunning the DATA step.

To take advantage of these enhanced reporting capabilities, you can combine DATA step programming with the formatting capabilities of ODS.

To create PDF output, for example, start with the DATA steps tools that you are already familiar with:

• the DATA _NULL_ statement

• the FILE statement

• the PUT statement

Then, add a few simple ODS statements and options. In addition, you can choose from several ODS formatting statements to format the output in other presentation styles, such as HTML, RTF, and PS. For more information on ODS statements, see Chapter 5, 'Dictionary of ODS Language Statements,' on page 67.