This module will illustrate some of the system options offered by the SAS system.
1. SAS system options
System options are global instructions that affect the entire SAS session and control the way SAS performs operations. SAS system options differ from SAS data set options and statement options in that once you invoke a system option, it remains in effect for all subsequent data and proc steps in a SAS job, unless you specify them.
In order to view which options are available and in effect for your SAS session, use proc options.
PROC OPTIONS; RUN;
Here is some sample output produced by the proc options statement above.
PORTABLE OPTIONS: NOCAPS Translate quoted strings and titles to upper case? CENTER Center SAS output? DATE Date printed in title? ERRORS=20 Maximum number of observations with error messages FIRSTOBS=1 First observation of each data set to be processed FMTERR Treat missing format or informat as an error? LABEL Allow procedures to use variable labels? LINESIZE=96 Line size for printed output MISSING=. Character printed to represent numeric missing values NOTES Print SAS notes on log? NUMBER Print page number on each page of SAS output? OBS=MAX Number of last observation to be processed PAGENO=1 Resets the current page number on the print file PAGESIZE=54 Number of lines printed per page of output PROBSIG=0 Number of significant figures guaranteed when printing P-values REPLACE Allow replacement of permanent SAS data sets? SOURCE List SAS source statements on log? NOSOURCE2 List included SAS source statements on log? YEARCUTOFF=1900 Cutoff year for DATE7. informat
Not every SAS system option is listed above, but many of the most common options are listed. Of course, it is not necessary to understand every SAS option in order to run a SAS job. This module will discuss some of the more common SAS system options that the typical user would use to customize their SAS sessions.
2. Log, output and procedure options
Log, output and procedure options specify the ways in which SAS output is written to the SAS log and procedure output file.
Below are some commonly used log, output, and procedure options:
center controls whether SAS procedure output is centered. By default, output is always centered. To specify not centered, use nocenter, which will print results to the output window as left justified.
date prints the date and time to the log and output window. By default, the date and time is always printed. To suppress the printing of the date, use nodate.
label allows SAS procedures to use labels with variables. By default, labels are permitted. To suppress the printing of labels, use nolabel.
notes controls whether notes are printed to the SAS log. By default, notes are printed. To suppress the printing of notes, use nonotes.
number controls whether page numbers are printed on the first title line of each page of printed output. By default, page numbers are printed. To suppress the printing of page numbers, use nonumber.
linesize= specifies the line size (printer line width) for the SAS log and the SAS procedure output file used by the data step and procedures.
pagesize= specifies the number of lines that can be printed per page of SAS output.
missing= specifies the character to be printed for missing numeric variable values.
formchar= specifies the list of graphics characters that define table boundaries.
Below is sample syntax for setting some of these options.
OPTIONS NOCENTER NODATE NONOTES LINESIZE=80 MISSING=.
FORMCHAR = '|----|+|---+=|-/<>*';
3. SAS data set control options
SAS data set control options specify how SAS data sets are input, processed, and output.
Below are some commonly used SAS data set control options:
firstobs= causes SAS to begin reading at a specified observation in a data set. If SAS is processing a file of raw data, this option forces SAS
to begin reading at a specified line of data. The default is firstobs=1.
obs= specifies the last observation from a data set or the last record from a raw data file that SAS is to read. To return to using all observations in a data set use obs=all.
replace specifies whether permanently stored SAS data sets are to be replaced. By default, the SAS system will over-write existing SAS data sets if the SAS data set is re-specified in a data step. To suppress this option, use noreplace.
Below is sample syntax for invoking some of these options.
OPTIONS OBS=100 NOREPLACE;
4. Error handling options
Error handling options specify how the SAS System reports on and recovers from error conditions.
Below are two commonly used error handling options:
errors= controls the maximum number of observations for which complete error messages are printed. The default maximum number of complete error messages is errors=20
fmterr (which is in effect by default if not specified) controls whether the SAS System generates an error message when the system cannot find a format to associate with a variable. Turning this option off is useful when you have a SAS system data set with custom formats, but you do not have the corresponding SAS format library. In this situation, SAS will generate an ERROR message for every unknown format it encounters and will terminate the SAS job without running any following data and proc steps. Thus, in order to override this default option and read a SAS system data set without requiring a SAS format library, use nofmterr
Below is sample syntax for invoking these options.
OPTIONS ERRORS=100 NOFMTERR;
5. Reading and writing data options
Reading and writing data options control the ways in which data are input to, and output from, the SAS system.
Below are some commonly used reading and writing data options:
caps specifies whether lowercase characters input to the SAS System are translated to uppercase. The default is nocaps.
probsig= controls the number of significant digits of p-values in some statistical procedures.
yearcutoff= specifies the first year of a 100-year span used as the default by various informats and functions. (For more information, see Using dates in SAS).
Below is sample syntax for invoking these options.
OPTIONS CAPS PROBSIG=3 YEARCUTOFF=1900;
It should also be noted that these data set options are global options, as opposed to local data set options that are specified within a data or proc step, and remain in effect until the data or proc step ends. For more information on local data set options, such as obs, keep and drop, see Subsetting data in SAS.