This presentation will describe the object-oriented substructure developed to manage, validate, and process survey data. Experience with classes or objects or design patterns is not necessary for this presentation, but it will help to know how to code a class and instantiate an object with SCL (SAS Component Language).

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Data set options allow features during data set processing.  Most SAS data set options can apply to either input or output SAS data sets in DATA steps or procedure (PROC) steps.  Data set options allow the data step to control variables, observations, security, and data set attributes.  This presentation defines data set options, provides examples in four categories, and discusses data set processing rules.

WHERE expressions allow for processing subsets of observations.  WHERE expressions can be use in the DATA step or with PROC (procedure) statements.  This presentation contains a series of features and examples of the WHERE expression.  At the end are some intensive SAS macros.

In version 9, the SAS System introduces Perl regular expressions (sometimes known by the acronym PRX, the first three letters of these new functions or call routines). However, previous versions of SAS already had regular expressions (known by their acronym RX, the first two letters of these functions or call routines). This presentation will map specific functional and performance differences in these two exclusive regular expression strategies, and offer recommendations on when to use each strategy.

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Robust applications engage in the give-and-take discussion between commands and return codes. This presentation encourages applications developers to implement comprehensive return code processing. This paper presents three distinct categories. First, we consider return codes from SAS®. Second, we consider return codes from the Windows® (as an example operating system). Third, we discuss development principles for proactively writing your own return messages. The examples draw from SAS/AF® and Windows®, and affect all SAS applications
development (including robust SAS Macro development). This paper introduces the rich conversation an application can and should have with its environment. Special attention focuses on error messages and recovering gracefully from unexpected or unintentional results.

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The qualities which SAS® macros share with object-oriented languages account for the power of macro programming. This paper illustrates some examples of specific design patterns which can be partially or fully implemented with the SAS macro language. The material is intermediate to advanced, and assumes knowledge of macros and macro variables. The goal is to illustrate best practices for SAS macro programming.

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This presentation will introduce a simple but powerful concept called the “One-Time Methodology” for encapsulating data in applications. Extensive SAS/AF® development experience is not required, though it will help to have had exposure to the basics of SAS/AF and SCL (SAS Component Language). The methodology can be applied in other application languages.

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