SAS Introduction

In Information and Technology area, managing huge databases and analyzing the data is a challenging task. For managing data, warehouses are created as per the client’s specifications and requirements and variety of software tools are used to process the data.

What is SAS system?

Statistical Analysis System, known as SAS System, is one of the most widely used, flexible data processing tools. It is used to perform:

• Data entry, retrieval and management
• Report writing and graphics
• Statistical and mathematical analysis
• Business forecasting and decision support
• Operations research and project management
• Application development

The core of the SAS System is base SAS software. It consists of

• SAS language: It is a programming language that you use to manage data
• Procedure that are software tools for data analysis and reporting
• A macro facility
• A windowing environment called the SAS Display Manager System.

Overview of Base SAS Software

Before analyze the data and produce the final report we have to arrange the data in the order (format) that the software will recognize the data for further processing. SAS will recognize the data in the form of data set. SAS data set consists of two parts i.e.

• Descriptor information: This describes the contents of the SAS data set to the SAS System.
• Data values: Data that have been collected or calculated which is organized into a rectangular structure containing rows called observations and columns called variables

Syntax of SAS language

SAS language consists of statements. Each SAS statement is terminated by semi-colon (;) When SAS program is executed, log and lst (list or output) files are created by the system.

Log file contains the Error messages, Warnings and Notes. Whenever we run the SAS program, the first step is to open the log file and check for the errors, warnings and notes. This will help us the make the SAS program error free. When the log file is no errors, no warnings, no notes (it displays at the bottom of the log file specifying Warnings 0 Errors 0 Notes 0) then we can confirm that the processing is accurate.

Output file It contains the results of the processing. Base SAS mainly completes with two steps called Data Step and Procedure Step.

Data Step It is used to create data sets. Proc Step is used to execute the pre-defined procedures that are used for processing.

Running the System

We can start SAS session with the SAS command. SAS system can be used in different environments like DOS, Windows, NT, Unix, MVS, VMS etc.

SAS programs can be run in the following methods:

• Display Manager Mode: This method is used in windowing environment. We can edit and execute programming statement, display the SAS log and output windows.
• Interactive Line Mode: In this mode, program statements are entered in sequence in response to prompts from the SAS system.
• Non-interactive mode: SAS program statements are stored in an external file and executes immediately.
• Batch mode: we can run SAS jobs in batch mode under host systems batch or background executive.

Data Step

This is the main part to create a data or to describe the data that SAS system recognizes for processing. A Data step is a group of SAS language statements that begins with DATA statement and followed by programming statements that perform the manipulations necessary to build the data sets. Report writing, file management and information retrieval can all handled in the Data Step.

Data Step Processing

We can submit the Data step to the SAS system for execution. SAS System first compiles and then execute.

Compilation phase

• SAS system checks the syntax of the SAS statements and compiles them, while compile, it translates the statements into machine code.
• DATA statement dataset name (begins step)
• Input or Set, Merge or Update (reads a record from input data)
• Optional SAS programming statements (further process the data)
• Run (end of the data step)
• Sample DATA Step: Data weight; Input rollno sub1 sub2 sub3 ; Total=sum(sub1,sub2,sub3); Datalines; 1001 90 80 75 1003 80 85 87 1004 90 95 90 ;

Industries Adopted SAS

• Automotive
• Banking
• Financial Services
• Government & Education
• Healthcare
• LifeSciences
• Manufacturing
• Media & Entertainment
• Pharmaceutical***
• Retail
• Telecommunication

SAS in Pharmaceutical:

• FDA's most preferred tool for Clinical trials for Phase I, II, III, IV etc. Only validated tool, which create regular opportunities for SAS, trained consultants.
• All major pharmaceutical companies USE SAS as the analysis tool for clinical research.
• On an average, a drug takes 12 –13 years to reach the market, therefore utilizations of SAS in all phase creates great opportunities for SAS trained consultants.
• On an average 6000-8000 clinical trials are conducted every year. Great Demand for SAS trained Consultants.
• Always there is a demand for the SAS consultants all through the year and years to come.
• Once trained, very easy to be adopted for different industries needs

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