Tag: programming

Informational eBook Web Apps are coming to this Blog Site for Members

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In the past I have written ebook apps on SAS-related topics for webOS, Android and Chrome users, but not everyone has access to these app platforms. However, every member of this blog site, whatever platform they use, has access to a compatible browser for my new ebook web apps, which contain the same content as my previous apps, but run from links on this site.

If you have logged onto the blog site as a Free member, then you will see a new “Informational eBook Web Apps about SAS-related Topics (for Free members)” in the Menu. This will take you to a blog forum landing page for the sample ebook web apps, which will demonstrate their functionality and show you sample topics from the other web apps:

  • How ==> App functionality sample
  • Consulting ==> Information about training and consultancy, plus sample topics from the other web apps

If you have logged onto the blog site as a Programming member, then you will see a new “Informational eBook Web Apps about SAS-related Topics” in the Menu instead. This will take you to a blog forum landing page for the full list of ebook web apps, with the following topic areas, as well as the sample apps above:

  • Data Steps ==> SAS functionality relating to Data Steps
  • SQL ==> SAS functionality relating to PROC SQL
  • Graphs ==> SAS functionality relating to SAS/GRAPH and ODS Graphics
  • Platforms ==> SAS functionality specific to Windows, UNIX, Linux and/or z/OS
  • EG ==> SAS functionality relating to Enterprise Guide
  • Macros ==> SAS functionality relating to macros
  • Efficiency ==> How to write efficient SAS programs
  • Studio ==> SAS functionality relating to SAS Studio

Note that these web apps can only be accessed from these blog forum landing pages, and you must be logged in with the appropriate membership level for that specific forum. Subscription details can be found here.

VIEWS News issue 62 (2020Q4) is scheduled for publication at the end on November 2020. Here is how to access VIEWS News issues…

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VIEWS News issue 62 (2020Q4) is scheduled for publication at the end on November 2020.

Recommended approach to accessing VIEWS News issues from #1, if you have already registered for free blog membership and requested access to the VIEWS UK forum:

  1. Always log onto the site using Member Login from the menu at https://hollandnumerics.org.uk/wordpress first. The site will ask you to join if you try to use a restricted link before logging on!
  2. Having successfully logged on, scroll to the bottom of the web page and click on the link to VIEWS UK in the Forum List. Note that you already have access if you can see VIEWS UK in the Forum List.
  3. If you are looking for a specific issue click on VIEWS News – Backissues.
  4. If you are looking for a specific topic (including issues where you have articles) click on Forum tag cloud.

I hope this makes your searching easier……………Phil

Last call for articles for VIEWS News 61: Become a VIEWS Consultant this month!

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Last call for articles for VIEWS News 61: Become a VIEWS Consultant this month! I’m planning to publish VIEWS News issue 61 at the end of August 2020, which means that I need you to send me your short SAS-related articles by 17Aug2020 to views-uk@hollandnumerics.org.uk.

Topics include:

  • Annoying SAS Programming Styles: I wrote Part 1 in issue 60 about indenting of SAS code. Do you have your own example of an annoying programming style, and how to fix it?
  • Event previews and reports.
  • Short articles on any SAS-related topics.

All the above examples will entitle the author to refer to themselves as a VIEWS Consultant!

There is also In Brief and Diary sections in each issue containing:

  • Links to interesting SAS-related web sites.
  • Announcements of SAS-related events occurring from mid-September onwards.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon…………..Phil

 

COVID-19 SAS Studio Project No.2: Visualising global trends in Johns Hopkins University data

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This is a project to read the daily Johns Hopkins COVID-19 data and visualise the national infection and fatality trends using Base SAS and SAS/STAT:

  1. Download the GitHub Desktop software from https://desktop.github.com/ and install it on your computer where you will be running SAS Studio or SAS University Edition. For instructions on how to install SAS University Edition on your own computer please read my blog post “Are you learning about SAS?”.
  2. Clone the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 data at https://github.com/CSSEGISandData/COVID-19, and then Pull the latest data, using the GitHub Desktop. This will reduce the time need to download all of the latest data each time you run the SAS Studio project, as a simple and quick Pull request in GitHub Desktop is all that is required each time.
  3. Download my SAS Studio CPF project file (John-Hopkins-GitHub-data.cpf), which is a zipped CPF file and will be updated occasionally with accepted submitted updates. Please check for comments here when updates are added.
  4. Open the CPF project file in SAS Studio (requires Base SAS and SAS/STAT) or SAS University Edition (making certain you have created a Shared Folder(s) first that are pointing to where your GitHub files and CPF project file are stored).
  5. Update the “run first” program to include your GitHub file folder in the &_dir macro variable assignment. The CSV files we will be using can be found in the /csse_covid_19_data/csse_covid_19_daily_reports folder.
  6. Submit each program in order given below (or submit all of the programs in the project’s flow together):
    • (1) “run first” assigns the location of the data to the &_dir macro variable.
    • (2) “Read CSV files” creates the SAS data sets in WORK by reading all of the CSV files in the csse_covid_19_daily_reports folder. Summarise the records by Country_Region to remove finer detail in the csse_covid_19_daily_reports.
    • (3) “Calculate regression lines” generates the regression lines for confirmed cases between 100 and 10,000, and deaths between 10 and 1,000, to include on the graphs. The regression lines appear to be straight in the semi-log plots, but are actually exponential to match the initial growth of confirmed cases, so that “flattening” of the curves can be identified more easily.
    • (4) “Semi-log plots of confirmed vs deaths” generates the graphs for countries where COVID-19 has had more than 1,000 confirmed cases or more than 100 deaths.

Some questions for you to answer:

    • (a) Where could my “Read CSV files” program be improved?
    • (b) Why is the US graph split at around 20Mar2020? Is this a problem with the data or my program?
    • (c) Are all of cases being included?

This project is open to SAS programmers and to researchers. Follow the above instructions yourself, and then see if you can improve my SAS code by answering the questions.

Please send your saved SAS Studio flow containing your improved versions of the SAS programs to phil@hollandnumerics.org.uk. Anyone providing improvements that can be incorporated will be added to the credits for this project.

My first COVID-19 SAS project for SAS Studio/SAS University Edition can be found at “Can you help? Supporting Coronavirus Research by searching research papers with SAS“.

If you are still looking for SAS training, then please go to my blog post “SAS training for home-workers: Keeping your mind active and your skills current” for some more training options.

COVID-19 can be defeated, and, working together, we can make a difference!

The SAS Programming Forum has been growing again with new SAS course sections and topics

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The SAS course sections and topics themselves are in the SAS Programming Forum, which can only be accessed by Programming level members, but Free members can read the SAS course – Home page and see the individual section and topic names.

The SAS course and the SAS Programming Forum continue to grow, I have just added some new course sections and topics about Data Steps, Base SAS Procedures, PROC SQL, SAS Macros, SAS Enterprise Guide and SAS Studio, and there are now 54 topics in 7 different sections:

  • A. SAS components – 2 topics
  • B. Data Steps – 14 topics (1 new topic)
  • C. Base SAS Procedures – 6 topics (new section)
  • F. PROC SQL – 15 topics (1 new topic)
  • G. SAS Macros – 15 topics (11 new topics)
  • N. SAS Enterprise Guide – 1 topic (new section)
  • O. SAS Studio – 1 topic (new section)

More topics and sections are being developed, so register for free now to be kept up-to-date about all of the news, so you can take advantage of the Programmer level when it suits you best!

I’ve added the final topic of the SAS Macros course in the SAS course (in the SAS Programming Forum)

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I’ve added the final topic of the SAS Macros course in the SAS course (in the SAS Programming Forum), and it describes some of the syntax used in SAS Macros processing.

I have added, for those who don’t want to follow the course but would prefer to read the course notes, a copy of course notes as a downloadable PDF ebook, and I have now published Android ebook apps with the same content on Google Play and Amazon Appstore.

As other SAS courses are finalised I will be publishing them as PDF ebooks and Android apps too.

Please enjoy if you’ve subscribed to the SAS Programming Forum.

I’ve added 5 more topics to the Macros course in the SAS course (in the SAS Programming Forum)

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I’ve added 5 more topics to the Macros course in the SAS course (in the SAS Programming Forum), and they describe more of the syntax used in SAS macro programming.

I have added, for those who don’t want to follow the course but would prefer to read the course notes, copies of some of the course notes as downloadable PDF ebooks, and I have now published Android ebook apps with the same content on Google Play and Amazon Appstore.

The Macros book and apps will be published after I’ve added the final topic, and as other SAS courses are finalised I will be publishing them as PDF ebooks and Android apps too.

STOP PRESS: I’ll be presenting “Writing Reusable Macros, Part 1: Managing Data Sets” at the SUGUKI Lunch & Learn on Friday 10 January @ 1210 (GMT)

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STOP PRESS: I’ll be presenting “Writing Reusable Macros, Part 1: Managing Data Sets” at the SUGUKI Lunch & Learn on Friday 10 January @ 1210 (GMT).

Please use this link to join me on Friday!

SUGUKI Lunch & Learn

I’ve added a tag cloud for all of the forums used by blog members

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As part of the development of the VIEWS UK forum infrastructure, I’ve added a tag cloud for all of the forums used by logged-in blog members. This means that clicking a word or phrase in the tag cloud will generate a list of forum topics with that tag. I’ve also added a search form at the end of the page, in case you would like to search a specific forum.

Once you have logged into the blog site, this can either be accessed directly at Forum Tag Cloud page, or through the Menu via Forums, Features and Subscriptions > Forum Tag Cloud. If you have not logged in, then you will be directed to the Join Us page, and you won’t be able to see the item in the Menu! This is because the forums on the blog site can only be accessed by logged-in members.

Would you like 1/2 day or 1 day SAS training at PharmaSUG China 2020?

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I was considering attending PharmaSUG China at the end of August 2019, but I’ve been told that a seminar held previously in China on SAS programming efficiency had a low attendance, as programmers there are relatively young, so they like to learn techniques on their own, or take classes on topics that they cannot learn from the internet. However, they prefer challenging topics, which are hard to learn on their own.

I have now decided to delay what could be my one and only visit to China until 2020, and use the extra preparation time to find out a little more about what SAS programmers in China would be most interested in.

Therefore, please could you help me by answering this quick poll about the 1/2 day training sessions I currently provide. The answers will guide me to the best package to offer to PharmaSUG China 2020. Links to most of the training courses can be found below the poll.

If you have not yet voted and can view the poll results, but the Vote button is grey, your IP address may already have been used to vote on this poll. This is in fact quite common when viewing blog posts from a company PC, so I would therefore recommend that you try voting using your phone or your home PC instead.

Thank you in advance………..Phil

I'm planning to go to PharmaSUG China in 2020. Which 1/2 day training courses would you be interested in attending there? (max 2)

  • Efficient SAS Programming (28%, 7 Votes)
  • Defensive SAS Programming (24%, 6 Votes)
  • Introduction to ODS Graph Templates (20%, 5 Votes)
  • SAS PROC SQL (12%, 3 Votes)
  • Enterprise Guide and SAS Studio (8%, 2 Votes)
  • Practical ODS Graphics (8%, 2 Votes)

Total Voters: 14

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Are you going to PharmaSUG 2019 in Philadelphia? My paper is listed on the “Sneak Preview” page!

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Are you going to PharmaSUG 2019 in Philadelphia? My paper, “The Art of Defensive Programming: Coping with Unseen Data”, is listed on the “Sneak Preview” page! This paper forms part of my Defensive SAS Programming course.

The conference runs from 16-19 June 2019, but I’m hoping to arrange my flights across the Atlantic so my wife and I can take in some of our “bucket” list in Boston and Niagara.

Hope to meet up with you in Philadelphia, and maybe even see you at my presentation!