What\'s Hot, What\'s Not: Skills For SAS® Professionals (35 Minutes)

What's Not –
Skills for SAS®
, Professionals
A presentation by
Kirk Paul Lafler and Charles Edwin Shipp

Copyright © 2007-2012 by
Kirk Paul Lafler and Charles Edwin Shipp
All rights reserved.

SAS is the registered trademark of SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC,
USA.

All other company and product names mentioned are used for
identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their
respective owners.

Copyright 2007 - 2012 by Kirk Paul Lafler and Charles Edwin Shipp 2

Quick Survey


Presentation Objectives

The SAS What’s Hot What’s Improving
Professional Hot? Topics Not So Skills /
Hot? Expertise


Tables Used in Examples

Movies

Actors


The Free Dictionary by Farlex,
defines a skill as “the proficiency,
facility, or dexterity that is acquired
or developed through training or
experience.”


The services and skills you plan to
offer should be geared to adding
value in an already highly
competitive marketplace.

Lafler and Shipp


Taking Inventory of Your Skills
• Identify the skills you currently possess
 DATA/PROC step programming
 Macro programming
 Database design
 ODS and specialized output
 Web development
 Technical writing
 Statistical analysis
 and so on . . .


• Identify the skills you currently possess
 DATA/PROC step programming
 Macro programming
 Database design
 ODS and specialized output
 Web development
 Technical writing
 Statistical analysis
 and so on . . .
• Rank each skill
 Expert
 Proficient
 Some working knowledge
 None


• Identify level of competence
 Cutting edge
 Competitive
 Out-of-date


• Identify level of competence
 Cutting edge
 Competitive
 Out-of-date
• Categorize skills by functional discipline
 Programming
 Design
 Analysis
 Analytics
 Data Cleaning
 Teaching
 Documentation
 Marketing
 and so on . . .


What’s
• Enterprise Guide – GUI point-and-click front-end application
• Hash Object – “Fast” table lookups, merges, and joins
• ODS – RTF, PDF, HTML, XML, and Excel Destinations and Tagsets
• PROC SQL – Queries, Tables, Views, Case Logic, Joins, Subqueries
• PROC REPORT – Detail and Summary Reporting
• Macro Language – Reusable Code and Tools
• Access SAS Environment – Dictionary Tables and SASHELP Views
• SAS/XML – Share Structured Data
• Business Intelligence (BI)
• http://support.sas.com –Technical Support, Online Documentation
• sasCommunity.org – Social Networking, Blogs, Tech Support
• SAS-L – List Serve of archived Technical Support Help
• LexJansen.com – Repository of “Published” SAS Papers
• SAS Certification – SAS Certified Professional Exams
• JMP software – Statistical and Data Visualization

sasCommunity.org Main Page


sasCommunity.org Features
• Primary user interface
• GUI look-and-feel interface
• Organized into parts
 Hyperlink Keywords
 Log-in and Account Links
 Special-purpose Tabs
 Body – Welcome, Blogger’s Corner and Forums
 Special-purpose Hyperlink Icons


The Main Page – Dissected
Hyperlink Keywords
Special-purpose Tabs Account Log-in

Body Portion

Special-purpose Icons


“Quick” Popular Links – Features
• Quick access to major categories
• Each category serves as a hyperlink
• Major categories include:
 Blogs on sasCommunity.org Planet
 Collaborate with SAS
 Events
 Geographies
 Opportunity Registry
 Presentations
 Provider’s Registry
 SAS Books
 User Groups
 Topics


Popular Links


Bloggers Corner – Features
• Blogs created and defined by SAS users
• Found on sasCommunity.org Planet
• 31 blogs exist
• Articles (topics) are arranged alphabetically
• A partial listing of topics include:
 SAS Global Forum  JMP Blog
 DATA steps  Macro Code
 The SAS Dummy  PROC SQL
 Statistical Analysis Consulting  Study SAS Blog
 Avocet Solutions  ProcRun;


SAS Global Forum


Bloggers Corner


Upcoming Events – Features
• Information on upcoming SAS-related events
• Click on the Events keyword hyperlink
• Found in the Events category
• SAS Software related events include:
 User Group meeting
 Training classes
 Webcasts
• Currently, 5 subcategories exist:
 Audio Conferences  User Group Meetings
 Conferences  Webcasts
 Training Classes


Events Page


Groups – Staying Connected


Sasopedia – Features
• Virtual area where users can provide factual information
and tips on SAS Software
• Addresses Frequently Asked Questions
• Click on the Sasopedia keyword hyperlink
• Information is organized by:
 Procedure
 Product/Solution
 Statement
 Topic


Using the Sasopedia


Hash Objects
• A Hash object is a data structure
• Contains an array of items that map “keys” to their
associated values
• Implemented as a DATA step construct
• Not available in PROCs
• At the end of the process the hash object is removed


How Hash Objects Work
• The contents of a table are read into memory once
• SAS can then repeatedly access it, as necessary
• Memory-based operations are typically faster than disk-
based operations
• Users experience faster search, table lookup and merge
(or join) operations
MOVIES Table ACTORS Table
TITLE TITLE ACTOR_LEADING ACTOR_SUPPORTING
Brave Heart Brave Heart Mel Gibson Sophie Marceau

... Christmas Vacation Chevy Chase Beverly D’Angelo
Christmas Vacation Coming to America Eddie Murphy Arsenio Hall

Coming to America ... ... ...

... ... ... ...


Hash Object Syntax
• The hash object is used by calling methods
• 26 known methods exist
• Basic syntax:
 Name of the hash table (user-assigned)
 Dot
 Desired method by name
 Specification to pass to the method
• Examples:
HashKey.DefineKey( );
HashKey.Find( );


Hash Object Methods We’ll Discuss
Method Description
ADD Adds data associated with key to hash object.

DEFINEDATA Defines data to be stored in hash object.

DEFINEDONE Specifies that all key and data definitions are complete.

DEFINEKEY Defines key variables to the hash object.

FIND Determines whether the key is stored in the hash object.

OUTPUT Creates one or more data sets containing the data in the hash object.


Merge with a Hash Object
data hash_match_merge;
if 0 then set actors; /* load variable properties into hash tables */
if _n_ = 1 then do;
declare Hash Titles (dataset:’actors’); /* declare the name Titles for hash */
Titles.DefineKey (‘Title’); /* identify variables to use as keys */
Titles.DefineData (‘Actor_Leading’,
‘Actor_Supporting’); /* identify columns of data */
Titles.DefineDone (); /* complete hash table definition */
end;
set movies;
if titles.find(key:title) = 0 /* lookup TITLE in MOVIES table with hash Titles */
then output;
run;


if _n_ = 1 then do;
1
end;
set movies;
then output;
run;


2
if _n_ = 1 then do;
end;
set movies;
then output;
run;


3 if _n_ = 1 then do;

end;
set movies;
then output;
run;


if _n_ = 1 then do;
end;
set movies;
4
then output;
run;


Merge Results with a Hash Object

Movies Actors

Hash_match_merge


What’s Not so Hot
• SAS/ASSIST®
• SAS/FSP®
• SAS/AF®
• Screen Component Language®
• DATA _NULL_ ‒> Monospace “Custom” Reporting


Improving Skills / Expertise
• SAS-led courses (lecture / hands-on workshops)
• Non-SAS Institute Instructor-led courses
• Self-paced computer-based training (CBT)
• Technical Support at http://support.sas.com
• Online SAS documentation in PDF and HTML format
• User-written books from SAS Press, Books by Users (BBU)
• “White” papers:
 sasCommunity.org
 support.sas.com
 LexJansen.com
• User Group presentations and Hands-on workshops
• Webinars and other content on sasCommunity.org
• Collaborate with others (using LinkedIn and User Groups)

Certified Professional Exams
Three Key Areas of Certification Testing:
• SAS Programming
• Predictive Modeling
• Data Warehousing


SAS Programming Credentials
Two Credentials:
• SAS Certified Base Programmer Credential
 SAS Base Programming Exam for SAS 9

• SAS Certified Advanced Programmer Credential
 SAS Base Programming Exam for SAS 9
 SAS Advanced Programming Exam for SAS 9


Predictive Modeling Credential
One Credential:
• SAS Predictive Modeling Using SAS Enterprise Miner 5.2
 Predictive Modeling Using SAS Enterprise Miner 5.2 Exam


Data Warehousing Credentials
Two Credentials:
• SAS Certified Warehouse Development Specialist Credential
 SAS Advanced Programming Exam for SAS 9
 SAS Warehouse Technology Exam
 SAS Warehouse Development Specialist Concepts Exam

• SAS Certified Warehouse Architect Credential
 SAS Warehouse Technology Exam
 SAS Warehouse Architect Concepts Exam


Conclusion

Improving The World of
Skills / the SAS
Expertise Professional
What’s
Not So
Hot?

Copyright 2007 - 2012 by Kirk Paul Lafler and Charles Edwin Shipp

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A Book of
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Blueprint for Developing Examples
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in March 2013!


Thank You for Attending!

Questions?

Kirk Paul Lafler Charles Edwin Shipp
KirkLafler@cs.comPaul Lafler and Charles Edwin Shipp
Copyright 2007 - 2012 by Kirk
CharlieShipp@aol.com 53

What\'s Hot, What\'s Not: Skills For SAS® Professionals (35 Minutes)

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