Lesson 1: Essentials

Question 1

The EDITOR window is used

Answer 1

To write code

Question 2

LOG window

Answer 2

is used for viewing descriptive information about what SAS does with your code.

any errors made or any Warnings that might appear during the writing of your SAS code.

Question 3

The EXPLORER window

Answer 3

is the area where you will be navigating to various Libraries and data.

Question 4

DATASET

Answer 4

All data in SAS is stored in what is called a Dataset.

It is nothing different from a spreadsheet with two dimensions to it.

A dataset can also be called as a TABLE, but in SAS it is called simply a dataset

Question 5

VARIABLES

Answer 5

= Columns

They are called Variables because the values under them may change depending on the dataset you’re dealing with.

Question 6

OBSERVATIONS

Answer 6

= Rows

Question 7

What are the ONLY 2 types of data in SAS?

Answer 7

Character and Numeric

Character are LEFT aligned (within the cell)
Numeric are RIGHT aligned

Question 8

How are MISSING values represented?

Answer 8

Character - NULL (empty)
Numeric - PERIOD / DOT (.)

Question 9

All data has to reside (where)?

Answer 9

In some kind of LIBRARY

A dataset cannot reside on its own in a SAS session

There is really NO limitation to the amount of data or the number of datasets that can be stored in a Library

Question 10

What are the 2 MAIN types of Libraries?

Answer 10

Temporary and Permanent

Question 11

What is a TEMPORARY library?

Answer 11

A Temporary Library is a place somewhere on your computer’s memory where SAS stores the data only temporarily.

The data stored in this place is lost, once you close your SAS session, and it won’t be available the next time you restart your session. It is usually a place to put in your working dataset that you might not need the next time you log into your SAS session.

Question 13

What is a WORK library?

Answer 13

By default, SAS creates a Temporary Library called the WORK folder every time you start your SAS session. So every time you start your session, the Work Library is an empty place to begin with, and it is erased every time you log off SAS session.

Question 14

What is a PERMANENT library?

Answer 14

A PERMANENT Library is a place on your computer to which SAS permanently associates a reference that is not lost even after you close your SAS session. It is retrievable anytime you come back to your SAS session.

The Permanent Library reference from your session could be either on your local desktop computer or somewhere on a server.

By default, SAS provides some sample Permanent Libraries
SASHELP
SASUSER
WEBWORK