Over recent weeks I have been retiring my ebook apps from Google Play and Chrome Web Store (with Amazon Appstore apps due to be retired later this year) and updating the app links in my ebook web apps on this site. This will mean that you will always see the latest information in the app here, and they will be available on all platforms that support web browsing.
There are still a few content updates to do, like replacing SAS University Edition with SAS On-Demand for Academics, and adding more information about Altair SLC, but they will be made over time, along with other updates and new web apps.
Features of the web apps on this site:
Drop-down contents list.
Adjustable font size and text flow to fit the browser window with [A-] and [A+] buttons.
Page up [Pg+] and down [Pg-] buttons.
Emails generated from clickable code fragments.
Ask a new question [Ask?] button to generate emails with suggestions.
Some apps include an index too.
I realise that there are still some app users out there who will feel abandoned, so, for those who have never subscribed to the SAS Programming Forum, register for Free membership of this blog, email a screenshot of your app to sales@hollandnumerics.org.uk (or use the app’s [Ask?] button) and I will give you a month’s free access to the SAS Programming Forum and to the ebook web apps as a thank you for your support.
When you have logged into the blog, you will see menu items for the web apps based on your membership.
Warning: the apps themselves are restricted to only work when opened from these web lists, so adding the individual apps to your browser favourites will not be helpful!
Today I requested the removal of my Google Play and Chrome Webstore apps from their web catalogues, and their links have been removed from my blog site too. Existing installations should continue to work, until their platforms eventually change to make them incompatible, and, unfortunately, some apps have already been removed due to incompatibilities.
If you want to continue using similar apps, what can you do now?
The content in SAS course apps can be found in the SAS course in the SAS Professional Forum. Programming and Recruiting members who can access to the SAS Programming Forum will also have access to Informational web apps and LMS courses that also contain the SAS course content. There are also some sample web apps for Free members.
The major benefit of web apps is that the content will always be current, so updates and corrections can be accessed once completed without any user actions.
Amazon Appstore apps may still be accessed by Windows 11 users until late-2024, but Amazon-compatible Android apps can still be downloaded from this site to sideload into Amazon Appstore in Ubuntu on Windows (until late-2024) and also on Android platforms that have been setup to allow sideloading.
I have been working from home on and off since 1996, so it now feels quite normal to start my work day by walking from my kitchen into my office. I know some of my colleagues have struggled with the many distractions that exist at home, so I suppose I’ve been lucky, but I still do not like doing nothing at all. To stop any boredom setting in I will look for ways to do something useful, and, over the years, I have taught myself many programming languages by reading books, running example code, and trying to write applications that will be useful day-to-day, for example:
Database applications for calculating hours left to work and printing invoices in Visual Basic.
Web applications to send me emails and SMS messages in Perl.
Smartphone apps for webOS (remember HP/Palm phones?) in Javascript and HTML5.
Smartphone apps for Android in Java.
Crossword puzzle word-finder scripts in LibreOffice Basic.
SAS Enterprise Guide custom tasks in VB.Net.
SAS Studio custom tasks in XML.
Each language presents a different set of problems and solutions, so each new solution will broaden your knowledge of the computer world. Not all language have been central to my day job, but my views on solving computer problems has been moulded by each new programming language I’ve used. In 1996 there was no significant online help, so you couldn’t easily ask anyone for help, but instead you had to rely on hints and tips in computer magazines. Later the online communities have become vital, but you will now have to ask your questions in the correct way, so that it will be understood by each community, as names are not necessarily consistent, otherwise your question is likely to be ignored. I’ve now found ways to improve the chances of my questions being answered, even if my problems are not always resolved:
Write a subject line that asks a question that could be answered, otherwise it probably won’t even be read.
Set the scene by describing the environment you are working in, such as operating system, and software language and version.
Describe in as much detail as you can what you are trying to do, what you have already tried, and any results/messages that you are getting, even if you don’t understand them.
Never assume that you’re problem can be solved, but work with anyone who offers you assistance.
Be humble and grateful, because there will be programmers out there who know more about this than you, and you might need to call on their skills again.
So what has all this got to do with SAS training? Well, thanks to COVID-19, there are now more home-workers than ever before, and in some cases the work available may not be filling your day, so what can you do to fill your spare time and improve your programming knowledge? I have gathered together some sources of SAS training and information which are either free or inexpensive, which you may find useful, and if you find out about any more, then post a comment and I’ll be happy to check them out:
I have a low-cost forum with a monthly subscription called the SAS Programming Forum, which welcomes SAS programming questions, but also includes the SAS course with a growing number of SAS-related topics, such as Data Steps, SAS Macros and PROC SQL, either as individual posts or LMS courses.
If you prefer to learn from eBooks or Android apps, then the topics in the SAS course are also available as eBooks and Android apps (on Amazon Appstore and Google Play).
Papers and books:
The Conferences Paper section on this site is filled with papers covering a wide range of SAS-related topics, which can be downloaded for free.
Other SAS-related books can be bought through the Books section on this site.
The largest searchable collection of SAS-related conference papers is maintained by Lex Jansen, including papers from SUGI, SeUGI, regional SAS user groups and forums, VIEWS, PhUSE, PharmaSUG and SAS Global Forum.
Competitive learning:
Sasensei is a SAS-related quiz and learning site where the flashcards, questions and quizzes are contributed by the users, and you earn points and awards from contributions and correct answers, but you will always learn from your incorrect answers too.
SAS support:
I’ve mentioned the SAS Programming Forum on this site, but the SAS Institute has a large and well-resourced Community Support site, where SAS staff and users can answer your programming questions for free.
SAS programming platforms for learning:
SAS University Edition is free for use as a learning platform, and can either be downloaded and installed on your laptop using VMware or VirtualBox, or accessed through the web on the AWS Cloud.
WPS Analytics Community Edition is a free version of WPS Analytics, which can be licensed from World Programming for 6 months at a time and installed on your PC, and can run SAS programs using quite a large subset of SAS programming features, and includes R and Python interfaces.
I think that should at least get you started on your SAS improvement projects!
