Introduction

SAS stands for Statistical Analysis System. It is a software package that allows you to perform statistical analysis on research data you have collected. Before you can start using Windows SAS, become familiar with the SAS language as well as the Windows environment.

Starting the SAS Session

To use Windows SAS from an Open Access Lab computer, select:

Start > All Programs > Applications > Statistics > WIN SAS 9.1.3 > SAS 9.1 (English)

Please note that you can also select WIN SAS V8.2 instead of WIN SAS 9.1.3.

The SAS session starts, which automatically opens three windows:

• Editor window (also called the Program Editor in some releases of SAS) is where you type your SAS program.
• Log window contains the log of the program run, and can include error and warning messages.
• Output window contains the output of the program run.

Move between these windows by clicking the appropriate button at the bottom of the SAS session or clicking Window from the Command menu and selecting the appropriate window.

Executing a SAS Program

1. After starting SAS, type your SAS program in the Editor window. If the SAS program already exists, open it by clicking File > Open. Select the file that contains the SAS program. Note that the Editor window is a regular text editor, and you can use the text-editing buttons to edit your program.
2. Save your program by selecting File > Save As (if it is a new program) or File > Save (if saving to the same file). A SAS program is always saved with the .sas extension.
3. Submit or execute the program by clicking the Submit button .

After the program execution ends, the Output window automatically appears if any output is generated.

Note: Checking the Log window for any errors, warnings, or other informative messages is always a good idea.

Printing the SAS Program Run

Once the SAS program runs successfully, you can print the program, log, and output after setting up the printer.

1. To set up the printer, click File > Print Setup, and then do the following:

• To select the printer, click the pull-down menu of the printer names and select the printer.
• To change the font, click the Font button and select the font and size. Click OK.
• To set the margins, click the Page Setup button and select the various margins. Click OK.
• To change the orientation, click the Page Setup button and select the desired orientation. Click OK.

1. Once the printer is set up correctly:

• Print the SAS program by selecting the Editor window that contains it, and then clicking File > Print > OK.
• Print the program log by selecting the Log window and clicking File > Print > OK.
• Print the output from the program run by selecting the Output window and clicking File > Print > OK.

Note: Select the Landscape orientation when printing the contents of the Log and the Output windows.

Ending the SAS Session

Once finished using Windows SAS, close the SAS session by selecting File > Exit or clicking the Close button.

SAS Short Courses

If you want to learn the SAS language, please register for the SAS short courses offered every semester by Computing and Information Services (CIS). The schedule for these short courses is available at this Web page: http://cis.tamu.edu/shortcourses/.

If you want to learn more about using Windows SAS, please register for the SAS for Windows short course that is listed at the above Web address. Please note that you must complete all of the prerequisite SAS short courses before you can take this class.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I get any syntax errors in my SAS program, where can I go to receive help? Please refer to the For More Help section below.

How much does CIS charge for the SAS short courses? They are offered at no charge. These short courses are designed for Texas A&M students, although faculty and staff are welcome to attend.

How do I preview my program output before I print it? Select the Output window and click File > Print Preview.

How can I obtain the SAS software to install on my computer?  Please contact the Software Evaluation and Licensing Library (SELL) at (979) 862-4104 or visit their Web site at http://cis.tamu.edu/customer-sales/sell/index.php.

How much does the SAS software cost?  For students, the software is offered at no charge. Faculty and staff must pay a fee. To find out the most recent cost, please contact SELL at (979) 862-4104.

For More Help

For further assistance, please ask the CIS Support Staff in any Open Access Lab or call Help Desk Central at (979) 845-8300. You can also send email to sashelp@tamu.edu.