Using the DOCUMENT Procedure to Expand the Output Flexibility of the Output Delivery System with Very Little Programming Effort

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1 Paper Using the DOCUMENT Prcedure t Expand the Output Flexibility f the Output Delivery System with Very Little Prgramming Effrt ABSTRACT Rger D. Muller, Ph.D., Data T Events Inc. The DOCUMENT prcedure is a little knwn prcedure that can save yu vast amunts f time and effrt when managing the utput f yur SAS prgramming effrts. This prcedure is deeply assciated with the mechanism by which SAS cntrls utput in the Output Delivery System (ODS). Have yu ever wished yu didn t have t mdify and rerun the reprt-generating prgram every time there was sme tweak in the desired reprt? PROC DOCUMENT enables yu t stre ne versin f the reprt as an ODS Dcument Object and then call it ut in many different utput frms, such as PDF, HTML, listing, RTF, and s n, withut rerunning the cde. Have yu ever wished yu culd extract thse pages f the utput that apply t certain BY variables such as State, StudentName, r CarMdel? With PROC DOCUMENT, yu have where capabilities t extract these. D yu want t custmize the table f cntents that assrted SAS prcedures prduce when yu make frames fr the table f cntents with HTML, r use the facilities available fr PDF? PROC DOCUMENT enables yu t get t the inner wrkings f ODS and manipulate them. This paper addresses PROC DOCUMENT frm the viewpint f end results, rather than prvide a cmplete technical review f hw t d the task at hand. The emphasis is n the benefits f using the prcedure, nt n detailed mechanics. INTRODUCTION This paper is riented twards the SAS prgrammer wh has little r n knwledge f Prc Dcument. The prcedure can greatly expand the use and flexibility f the Output Delivery System (ODS). Prc Dcument culd be cnsidered a huge utility prgram fr wrking with utput frm SAS ABOUT ODS The Output Delivery System (ODS) is at the heart f the mechanism whereby SAS gathers, rganizes, and shapes/cnverts the utput t return it t the user as data prcessing ccurs. ODS takes a cre data feed and cmbines it with assrted templates t cnvert it t destinatin frmats such things as HTML, PDF, RTF, assrted printer frmats and mre. At the heart f this system befre utput is redirected t these frmats, infrmatin resides as an Output Object. This Output Object can be stred and then Prc Dcument can be used as the utility t further shape the infrmatin t the desired utput frmat. WHY WOULD YOU NOT WANT TO USE PROC DOCUMENT? Yu ve never heard f it. Yu dn t knw what it is fr r t hw t use it. Yu think that the utputting f prcedure utput t a dcument such as HTML, PDF, r whatever is the end f the line when it cmes t prducing utput frm SAS. Yu just g ahead and create the utput frm SAS in a multitude f utput frmats, hping that the end user will find smething they like. Yu put all f the by variable and ptential where data cuts ut there hping they will find what they need and ignre the rest. Yu have thught it was nt pssible via very simple SAS cde t alter the utput frmat, select nly parts f a file, rerder parts f the file, change the appearance style, etc. at the time the dcument is being brught up fr display r being printed. In yur wrld, this capability fr custm shaping after summarizatin seems like smething that wuld be tagged n after the cmpletin f a prject. Yu dn t wrk that way! Yu think that simple listings f items in a database might best be handled by sme simple database reprting tl. This may well be if the utput is things like simple listings, simple 1

2 means, etc. But what if there are many intermediate calculatins, data transfrmatins, etc. that require the pwerful tls f SAS? Yu might think this is ttally freign cncept ding anything with a dcument after is prduced. Yu might be scared that quality cntrl issues will arise if the final shaping and frmatting is ptentially dne in an end-user custmer-type f envirnment. This may be a very legitimate cncern. WHAT ARE EXAMPLES OF THINGS PROC DOCUMENT COULD DO WITH AN ODS OUTPUT OBJECT? Change the utput frmat (i.e. HTML, PDF r RTF, etc.) as the need arises. Pick nly parts f the dcument t display. Search fr sme simple where r by types f variables and values and present nly them in the current reprt, excluding the thers. D all f this and mre by nt rerunning the riginating prgram multiple times with all srts f multiple utputs t be maintained in the file system. D all f this by running a very simple SAS prgram that culd be initiated by a variety f means by prgrammers, end-users etc. GETTING STARTED D all f this frm assrted envirnments such as: Small prgrams created with tls such as Visual Basic, Java, etc. and implemented frm a brwser. Frm SAS Envirnments such as Enterprise Guide, PC SAS, etc. Frm Micrsft Excel, Wrd, PwerPint via the SAS Add Ins fr Micrsft Office. As yu can see, implementatin is very flexible and is prbably limited mre by imaginatin than anything. All kinds f end-user needs and envirnments can readily be accmmdated. This is nly a beginning list f things that culd be dne and hw they might be implemented after the initial prgramming has been cmpleted. A very simple example will shw hw t create the ODS Dcument Object and mdify it with Prc Dcument. See the discussin belw and the Reference sectin at the then end f the paper fr numerus ther capabilities. This paper des nt address all f these issues. WHERE TO FIND INFORMATION ON PROC DOCUMENT As f the time f the creatin f this presentatin, there has nt been a User s Guide r Pcedures Guide published. There are tw excellent bks published by SAS Press: 1. Smith, Kevin S., ODS Techniques Tips fr Enhancing Yur SAS Ouput. Cary, NC: SAS Institute. 2. Tuchman, Michael PROC DOCUMENT by Example Using SAS. Cary, NC: SAS Institute. If yu are serius abut using Prc Dcument, it is a must t buy the abve bks. 2

3 3. SAS ODS Users Guide may be f use when yu get deeper int ODS. It des nt address Prc Dcument directly. (See References). In additin, the reference papers at the end f this dcument are very useful: (1) Zender, (2) Smith and (3) Pabbaraju. AN EXAMPLE OF CREATING A SAS ODS OUTPUT OBJECT AND THEN MODIFYING OUTPUT WITH PROC DOCUMENT: The cde in the fllwing table was generated t give yu a wrking example f hw Prc Dcument might be used t manipulate utput. IMPORTANT: This example generates a large amunt f utput that is t much t shw in this paper, althugh brief snapshts will be placed in later figures. It is highly suggested that yu cpy the SAS cde int yur interactive PC SAS envirnment r yur SAS Enterprise Guide envirnment t run it and see the true utput and becme familiar with interacting with Prc Dcument. Yu will have t mdify the libname fr permanent strage if yu plan n using the tw-level names t stre the ODS Dcument Object. Alternatively, yu can use a ne level name if yu want the bject t nt be retained beynd the current sessin. Yu can als run this cde in batch mde if that is the envirnment in which yu wrk. This cde was run in SAS 9.4 M1R2 remtely via VMWARE n a SAS/Grid Linux Server. Enterprise Guide 7.11 was n the lcal PC. Mst, if nt all, f this shuld run n much earlier versins f SAS. EG is nt required. Everything required t d this example cde is part f base SAS. Cde *ODS Prc Dcument Use; *Setup a libname fr permanent strage f Output Object; libname keepit '/bimetrics/perftest/rmuller' ; What s Happening Setting up a permanent libname s that a 2- level dcument name can be used in SAS. Tw-level names are permanent and can be retrieved at a later date and time. Sme f the flder names are redacted. *send utput t dcument bject file nly,d nt create final print file; ds dcument name=keepit.try1; prc print data=sashelp.cars; ds dcument clse; A simple prc print bject dcument will be written t keepit.try1. Nte that n html file r pdf file r print file is created. *dcument bject is nw created. Let's lk at in a listing; ds listing; prc dcument name=keepit.try1; list /levels=all; ds listing clse; N printut appeared. Let s lk at what is in keepit.try1. In rder t display it n screen, we will create a listing file, run cde and clse the listing. Output is shwn in Figure 1. 3

4 *greatly expand cntents f new dcument; ds dcument name=keepit.try2; prc srt data=sashelp.cars ut=wrk.cars;by rigin type; prc print data=wrk.cars;by rigin type; prc means data=wrk.cars;var msrp;by rigin type; ds dcument clse; *lk at what is in the bject file; ds listing; prc dcument name=keepit.try2; list /levels=all; ds listing clse; *cnvert t utput frmats and demnstrate selectin techniques; ds html;*just creating temprary files; prc dcument name=keepit.try2; replay ^(where=(rigin='asia' AND type='suv')); quit; ds html clse; prc dcument name=keepit.try2; replay ^(where=(rigin='eurpe' and type='suv')); quit; ds html clse; Nw we are making a much bigger dcument file. First, srt the data by rigin and type. Then d a cmplete prc print f all variables (by rigin and type) and a prc means n the MSRP variable (by rigin and type). Again the nly utput created is an bject file -- keepit.try2. The resulting file wuld be visible in systems directry viewing tls such as Windws Explrer as try2.sas7bitm in the directry that keepit is mapped. Lk at the cntents f the dcument file keepit.try2. There are many mre levels because f multiple prcs and the by variables. Partial utput is shwn in Figures 2 and 3. D nt wrry abut fully understanding what is here. Its functinality will emerge as yu wrk further thru this exercise. T much studying f this cntent at this time can be cunterprductive. Let s create an html dcument that an enduser wants ut f the cntent f the ODS Dcument Object stred as keepit.try2. Prc Dcument will cnvert t HTML and replay nly where rigin= Asia and type= SUV. The rest f infrmatin is nt printed. Nte that the data was riginally srted by rigin and type. Infrmatin frm Prc Print is in Figure 4 and frm Prc Means in Figure 5. Here is a where pulling ut specific rigin and type values with the same rder as the riginal srt. This wrks fine, nly thse values will shw fr bth the prc print and the prc means. Output is nt shwn in the interest f brevity. ds html; prc dcument name=keepit.try2; replay ^(where=(type='suv' and rigin='eurpe' )); quit; Here is a where pulling ut specific rigin and type with a different rder than the riginal srt. This wrks fine, nly thse values specified will shw fr bth prc print and prc means. Output is nt shwn. 4

5 ds html clse; That cncludes the cde demnstratin. Run it yurself t better understand hw Prc Dcument wrks. The fllwing figures shw a few selected printuts f the abve cding exercise: Figure 1. A Listing f the Levels in an ODS Dcument Object. 5

6 Figure 2. Partial Printut f Level Infrmatin. Nte Print and ByGrups are Present Figure 3. A Mid-Stream Printut f Level Infrmatin, Cntinued frm Abve. Nte: the End f the Print Sectin and the Beginning f Means Sectin and All f the By Infrmatin. Needless t Say, Lts f Levels! 6

7 Figure 4. Partial Output frm Prc Print fr Asian SUV s. All Other Data in the Original Dcument is Nt Included in Printut Because f the Cding in Prc Dcument. Figure 5. Means fr Asian SUV s. All Other Means in the Original Dcument Are Nt Presented Because f Prc Dcument Cding. DISCUSSION OF OTHER CAPABILITIES Here s a big ne we haven t discussed. With minimal input the Style assciated with the creatin f a reprt can be changed. By default, HTML dcuments are created with a style call HTMLblue. This was used in the figures shwn earlier. If yu wish t change t sme ther clr, just issue an ODS HTML statement with the style yu want. Example: ds html style=harvest file='/bimetrics/perftest/rmuller/whatever.html';. There are currently 54 styles furnished with base SAS. T see a listing f their names, submit the fllwing cde: prc template; list styles; The best way t find ut what is in them and what they affect is t run test cde with a variety f data and graphics utput. Prc Dcument has many ther capabilities abve and beynd thse shw here. Zinder referenced 22 ther capabilities and made cmment that there are even mre 7

8 CONCLUSION Prc Dcument adds exciting capabilities t further mdify the utput f SAS peratins. With minimal cding requirements, minimal cmputing pwer and minimal interactin by users, custmized utput can readily be generated further enhancing the riginal reprt. Yes, yu shuld learn Prc Dcument! REFERENCES SAS Institute, SAS 9.4 Output Delivery System User s Guide, Third Editin pages. Published by SAS Institute, Cary NC Smith, Kevin, ODS DOCUMENT Frm Scratch. Zinder, Cynthia L. Rearrange and Replay Yur Output with ODS DOCUMENT. Pabbaraju, Jythi, See All, Knw All: Using PROC DOCUMENT t Prduce Integrated Data Set Dcumentatin. Smith, Kevin S., ODS Techniques Tips fr Enhancing Yur SAS Ouput. Cary, NC: SAS Institute. Tuchman, Michael PROC DOCUMENT by Example Using SAS. Cary, NC: SAS Institute. CONTACT INFORMATION Yur cmments and questins are valued and encuraged. Cntact the authr at: Rger D. Muller, Ph.D. Data-T-Events, Inc Stephanie St. Carmel, IN USA 317/ (cell) 317/ rdmuller@htmail.cm SAS and all ther SAS Institute Inc. prduct r service names are registered trademarks r trademarks f SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and ther cuntries. indicates USA registratin. Other brand and prduct names are trademarks f their respective cmpanies. 8