SAS 9.1.3 Language Reference: Concepts, Third Edition, Volumes 1 and 2
Basic Features of the SAS Windowing Environment
What Is the SAS Windowing Environment?
SAS provides a graphical user interface that makes SAS easier to use. Collectively, all the windows in SAS are called the SAS windowing environment.
The SAS windowing environment contains the windows that you use to create SAS programs, but you will also find other windows that enable you to manipulate data or change your SAS settings without writing a single line of code.
You might find the SAS windowing environment a convenient alternative to writing a SAS program when you want to work with a SAS data set, or control some aspect of your SAS session.
Using SAS Window Features
Overview of SAS Windowing Environment Features
SAS windows have several features that operate in a similar manner across all operating environments: drop-down menus, pop-up menus , toolbars, and online help. You can customize many features of the SAS windowing environment, including toolbars , menus, icons, and so on. Select Tools to explore some of the customization options that are available. The examples in this section are from the Microsoft Windows operating environment; menus and toolbars in other operating environments have a similar appearance and behavior.
Operating Environment Information: If you are using Microsoft Windows, the active window determines what items are available on the main menu bar. If you can not find an option on the menu where you expect to find it, be sure you have opened the correct window.
Keyboard Equivalents for z/OS
Operating Environment Information: The following table shows you how to select items if you use SAS in the z/OS operating environment.
Operating Environment Information: Other features that are specific to z/OS and other operating environments are found later in this section.
Drop-Down Menus in SAS
A drop-down menu is a list of commands that appears when you click on a menu name in the menu bar.
Drop-down menu choices change as you change the windows you are using.
The following steps demonstrate that selecting View from a menu bar results in a different drop-down menu, depending on which window you are using when you make the selection.
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Select
from the menu. The Explorer window appears. -
Select
from the menu bar again. The drop-down menu lists the View commands that are available for the Explorer window. Display 18-3: View Commands for Explorer Window -
Click Program Editor
The Program Editor window appears. -
Select View from the menu again and notice that it offers different selections.
Pop-Up Menus in SAS
A pop-up menu is a menu that appears when you select an item or an option. In SAS windows, a pop-up menu displays when you right-click an item. A pop-up menu remains visible until you make a selection from the menu or until you click something outside of the pop-up menu area.
To see a typical pop-up menu in SAS, perform the following steps:
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In the Explorer window, right-click the Libraries icon. Notice that Open and New are available in the pop-up menu. Select Open .
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Right-click the Sasuser icon. The pop-up menu contains additional selections. Click anywhere outside the pop-up menu to close it without selecting an action.
Operating Environment Information: To open a pop-up menu using SAS on z/OS, you select the item by placing a question mark (?) in the space next to the item, and then press ENTER. See Table 18.1 on page 284 for more information.
| Mouse Action | Keyboard Equivalent |
|---|---|
| double-click the item | type an s or an x in the space next to the item, then press ENTER or RETURN |
| right-click the item | type ? in the space next to the item, then press ENTER or RETURN. |
Toolbars in SAS
A toolbar is a block of window buttons or icons. When you click on items in the toolbar, a function or an action is started. For example, clicking on a picture of a printer in a toolbar starts a print process. The toolbar displays icons for many of the actions that you perform most often in a particular window.
Operating Environment Information: SAS on z/OS is not equipped with a toolbar.
To see a typical toolbar menu in SAS, perform the following steps:
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Click the Explorer window and look at the toolbar. Notice that currently unavailable tools are grayed.
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Move your mouse pointer to a tool and hold it there for a moment. A Tool Tip displays the name of the tool.
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Click the Editor (or Program Editor) window and view the tools available.
Getting Help from the Help Menu in SAS
There are several ways to access the Help system that comes with SAS. You can either type help in the menubar, or select different choices from the Help menu. The following list describes the Help menu choices.
Using This Window
Opens a Help system window that describes the current active window.
SAS Help and Documentation
Opens the SAS Help and documentation system. Help is available for Base SAS and other SAS products that are installed on your system.
Getting Started with SAS Software
Opens Getting Started with SAS Tutorial. This is a good way to learn the basics of how to use SAS.
Learning SAS Programming
Opens SAS OnlineTutor: Advanced Programming sample data sets. SAS
OnlineTutor: Advanced Programming is a separately licensed product that provides 50-60 hours of instruction for beginning as well as experienced SAS programmers.
SAS on the Web
If you have web access, then this selection provides links to the SAS web site, where you can
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contact Technical Support
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read Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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find information about Training Services
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send feedback browse the SAS home page.
About SAS System
Provides version and release information about SAS.
Getting Help from the Toolbar in SAS
You can get help when you type help < language element name > in the toolbar or at the command line. This opens the Help system and displays the documentation for the language element name that you typed.