Book Description

As the SAS© programming language continues to evolve, this guide follows suit with timely coverage of the combination statistical package, database management system, and high-level programming language. Using current examples from business, medicine, education, and psychology, Applied Statistics and the SAS Programming Language is an invaluable resource for applied researchers, giving them the capacity to perform statistical analyses with SAS without wading through pages of technical documentation. Includes the necessary SAS statements to run programs for most of the commonly used statistics, explanations of the computer output, interpretations of results, and examples of how to construct tables and write up results for reports and journal articles. Illustrated with SAS Graph™ output. Provides readers with ample models for developing programming skills. For anyone interested in learningmore about applied statistics and the SAS programming language.

Customer Reviews (31)

guide to applied stats through the use of SAS
SAS is a data management and statistical analysis tool that is extremely popular in industry especially in medical device and pharmaceutical companies. SAS manuals are very good at providing users who have some statistical knowledge with guidance toward the use of various porcedures. Statistical texts often provide users of statistical methods with the necessary basic knowledge. However there are few texts that do both. A trend is developing to introduce basic and advanced statistical methods illustrated through the use of statistical software (particularly SAS). This book does a great job of presenting many applied problems and demonstrating the implementation of the analysis in SAS.

Useful
Really good for a start for SAS. You can always turn to it when there is something you do not understand. Thought it is thick.Well, the software is complicated. So enjoy reading it!

Poor book
I hoped more. It is a very basic book, with elemental examples and no clear directions on the best use of SAS.

Great for real life applications
Great book.. It is a great asset to my SAS library.

Too much unecessary detail about reading in data
Theres just too much unecessary material in this book about ways to read in data etc. Its all unecessary cos like myself most professionalanalysts and statisticians have access to SAS enterprise guide, which is incredibly powerful and so much less time consuming. The programming language is only useful for algorithms these days, as most professionals havent got the time to be debugging code all day. The text covers nothing about cluster analysis either which is central to a lot of multi variate analysis.
The mathematics and statistical detail is of far more interest and importance to us in the working environment than reading in of files. ... Read more

Book Description
A professional reference book for SAS programmers packed with specific, practical techniques explained and demonstrated, organized into 88 chapters for easy reference. Includes information on data types, text files, time data, codes, missing values, table lookup, calendars, SQL, XML, macro language, text analysis, and many other subjects that SAS programmers work with every day. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great book
Great book, alot of useful tips/tricks for any level.Also clear and easy to follow.

Useful
I have learned lots of little tricks from this book and recommended to other SAS programmers.I have about 3 years of programming experience and this covered some techniques for tasks that we not obvious to me.I enjoyed his other book as well.

Very solid
I agree with the previous reviewer, especially on the point that the book could benefit SAS beginners, not just the more seasoned programmers: it is clearly organized, and makes it easy to look up the topic of interest.

An outstanding book
An excellent, information-packed and well-organized book that's definitely worth the purchase price and would be a good investment for experienced and novice SAS programmers alike. ... Read more

Product Description
Prepare for the SAS Base Programming for SAS®9 certification exam with the official guide by the SAS® Certified Professional Program. New and experienced SAS users who want to prepare for the SAS Base Programming for SAS®9 certification exam will find this guide an invaluable, convenient and comprehensive resource that covers all of the objectives tested on the exam. Major topics include importing and exporting raw data files, creating and modifying SAS data sets, and identifying and correcting data syntax and programming logic errors.You will also become familiar with the enhancements and new functionality that are available in SAS®9.Includes a free CD-ROM with tutorials, practice data, and sample programs to further reinforce and test your SAS skills. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Price and originality comparison
Buying this book from Amazon saved me time and money. I was worried about the cd not being included with the book at the time of purchase. However, the book was brand new with cd wrapped in a plastic wrap. I am very pleased to order this book from Amazon.

Great book for SAS concepts. YOU will pass the test!!
I bought this book and read it many times before the exam. Took notes for concepts that are confusing or may be tricky(like Do while/Until, Length etc.). Passed the test (90% questions correct!) and now preparing for the advanced test. The quizes on the back are good but a bit easier than the test. I also referred the e-planetlabs study guide which had better quizes. Then I reviewd this book again to clear some concepts. Overall, SAS base test is pretty easy if you have these two reference materials. Answering 45 correct questions out of 70 is not that tough. Also SAS website has a mock test which might help practice, but i suggest the e-planet. Good luck.

Excellent prep for test with programming I and II
The most notable attribute of the SAS Prep Guide is that it contains a lot of information not included in the two programming classes that I've taken from the SAS Institute (Base Programming I and II). The classes were great, but the book adds even more material (and if it's on the test, I want to know about it!). The book is thorough, over 750 pages of material and includes about 10 questions at the end of each chapter as a test (answers and explanations in the back of the book). Also, the book doubles as a reference guide in case you're stumped and need a resource. I have not used the CDROM at all and thus have no comments in regards to it. Overall, I suggest it, especially if you can get your company to pay for it!

GOOD BOOK
For novice and experienced programmers who wants to write certification exam its a good reference book. I recommend to buy this book.

good guide for SAS certification test
I have been preparing for base SAS certification test, this book provided me the opportunity to see what to expect in test and how to better prepare for the test. ... Read more

Book Description
Need help understanding the SAS macro facility? You will findall the answers that you need in this easy-to-follow book! Michele Burlewputs her decades of macro programming experience to work for you as sheguides you through the basics, as well as the more complex features of theSAS macro facility. Updated extensively for SAS 9, this book includesplenty of examples and step-by-step instructions. You will learn theelements of the macro facility (macro variables, macro programs, macrolanguage), how to write a macro program, macro programming techniques, tipson using the macro facility, how the macro facility fits into SAS, andabout the interfaces between the macro facility and other components ofSAS.

New topics for the second edition include using SAS 9 macro and SASlanguage features, debugging macro programs, adding error checking to macroprograms, and building a library of utility macro programs.

Beginningmacro programmers will learn to write SAS macro programs quickly andefficiently. More experienced macro programmers will find this book usefulto refresh their conceptual knowledge and expand on their macro programmingskills. It is also important to note that the macro facility is a highlypopular part of SAS and found in the job requirements for many SASprogramming jobs. In addition, macro facility concepts are tested on theSAS Advanced Programming Exam. The book assumes some SAS programmingexperience, including knowledge of how to write a DATA step and how to useSAS procedures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

easy read and easy use
it's very easy to find information you want, and very handy. recommended.

Good introductory book to learn macros
This is a well organized book that gently introduces macro programming. If you have some knowledge of macros then you could learn and move quickly through this book (probably to Carpenter's Complete Guide to the SAS Macro Language.

Though, the depth of material and examples in this book are limited compared to Carpenter's, it much more readable and accessible.

Good
Through careful and patient reading, this book helped me learn Macros.The style of explanation is a little like a recipe bookand this style made the reading for me dry.For many readers, however, the book should be very useful, for it has info not easily found elsewhere.

Excellent book
This book will teach you macros. For such as small book it packs a big punch. I've read it two times already. My only complaint is the flimsy paper quality of the book. For [dollar amount] you would expect a better paper quality for such a small book. If you can, borrow the book and photocopy the whole thing.

This book is really excellent .
This book is really good for Beginners . Its easy to follow different concepts and macro porcessing was very clearly explained with good examples. This book gives a good understanding of core topics. ... Read more

Book Description
At last! A real-world reference guide for clinical trial SAS programming, packed with solutions that programmers can apply to their day-to-day problems. Discover key techniques and tools available within Base SAS (including the macro language and PROC SQL), SAS/GRAPH, and SAS/STAT that can be used to resolve many common issues in working with clinical trial data. Organized to reflect the statistical programmer's work flow, this user-friendly text begins with an introduction to the working environment, then presents chapters on importing and massaging data into analysis data sets, producing clinical trial output, and exporting data. Valuable plug-and-play programming examples are provided throughout. Whether you're a novice seeking an introduction to SAS programming for the pharmaceutical industry or a junior-level programmer exploring new approaches to problem solving, you'll find a wealth of practical suggestions to help you sharpen your skills. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Excellent book for a beginer
Excellent book.....explains in detail which could be understood very easily by any one with basic knowledge in SAS programming.....highly recommended for those who wants to pursue their SAS programming career in pharma industry

Excellent
This is the first time I personally bought a book from Amazon and found it extremly satisfying as far as the pricing, quality and the delivery of the product is concerned.

One of the very few good SAS Books
Just love the way this book is written! A must for every SAS user working in the Clinical Trials / Pharma industry!!!

The best book I ever bought...
It is not easy to explain easy things easily, but this author is different. He knows how to say more in few words. I liked this book too much. It is easy to read, easy to understand, and easy to follow. Wish we had more writers like him.

Excellent Overview of Pharma Programming and Reporting
Based on input from someone who just got a job at a large pharma in Southern California, the material in the book is DIRECTLY relevant to programming and reporting in the industry.Future versions could be a bit more detailed, but again, as an overview it is excellent. ... Read more

Product Description
In this pragmatic, example-driven book, author Neil Constable demonstrates how you can use SAS code to enhance the capabilities of SAS Enterprise Guide. Designed to help you gain extra value from the products you already have, this book contains tips and techniques that show you a variety of features that cannot be accessed directly through the task interfaces. In all cases, techniques are shown with examples that you can try and test, plus additional exercises are included to give you more practice. The end result is more efficient and resilient use of SAS Enterprise Guide in a wider variety of business areas.

Included is a discussion of the following subject areas:

• the Output Delivery System
• advanced formatting
• macro variables and macros
• advanced reporting using PROC REPORT
• highlighting in reports
• hyperlinking between reports and graphs
• data manipulation using SQL
• data manipulation using the DATA step
• extended graphics

By adding small amounts of code in key areas, SAS Enterprise Guide users can get more out of the product than the tasks reveal. Users should be familiar with the SAS Enterprise Guide user interface and tasks. No programming experience is necessary. ... Read more

Book Description
Develop and fine-tune your programming skills the easy way - by example!For beginning and intermediate users, SAS Programming by Example guides you, with a series of annotated examples, through basic tasks to more complex ones. Problems and solutions are provided to make the most of the programming tools available in base SAS software. Conversational in tone, this book is useful both as a tutorial for learning programming and as a convenient quick-reference filled with tips and strategies for solving your programming problems. Among the clearly explained examples are models that show you how to build SAS data sets, use SAS functions for data translation, program more efficiently, relate information from multiple sources, and chart and plot data. You will also learn to work with SAS date values, produce descriptive and summary statistics, and write reports.

Supports releases 6.09E and higher of SAS software. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Good book for data restructuring algorithms
Hi,

There are times when you may get data sets that were entered in formats that are not compatible with the PROC you are using. In terms of teaching one how to use arrays and loops to restructure data sets, this book is a gold mine. If you analyze data from PROC SQL against databases then you probably won't need all of what is in this book. I have used this book for several consulting engagements and even if you program in SPSS, this s a great book to have in your arsenal.

SAS Programming
I enjoyed the book by Cody and Pass. It is very "user-friendly" and even though it may not be as comprehensive as other comparable books on the subject, I did find it excellent. It clarified many concepts which I was not able to from anywhere else. The authors may consider adding PROC REPORT, a very important and powerful tool.

Ok--rather above average
On the whole, the book is very good in that in general it consists of short self-contained programs: the input, the code, and the output, with discussion. Unfortunately, later in the book the authors got tired of the above and in many cases do not provide the output.

Also, the authors indulge in numerous parenethetical asides that are supoosed to be humorous but are just silly and interruptive.

Still, on balance it is a good (though outrageously overpriced) book.

For the Person Who Has Everything
Not exactly one of those people but still hanging in there. This is a very good do-it-yourself book on SAS coding. But remember, it is still "do-it-yourself" so beware. You can get the job done, but it may not always be the most economical or efficient way. Otherwise this is an invaluable book. Keep it handy.

My first SAS book
This book is helpful for beginner users. It was invaluable to me in learning SAS programming, with great examples of all the basic concepts and operations. It's concise and pretty well-written. (By the way, there's also a helpful "SAS Workbook" that goes along with this, written also by Cody. The Workbook has many exercises to help you get started with SAS). ... Read more

Product Description
SAS Learning Edition 4.1: Bringing the power of Data Analytics to individuals

Preset Die Date: December 31, 2011. The need for talented people capable of leveraging world-class business analytics has never been clearer. SAS Learning Edition s educational bundle gives individuals, looking to enhance their SAS skills, the freedom to learn at their own pace and on their own PCs or laptops all on low-cost, self-install CD-ROMs. SAS users at all levels, from novice to advanced, will appreciate this innovative and comprehensive personal learning version of SAS. Maximize your learning experience with SAS Enterprise Guide, point-and-click access to the power of SAS. Or, write and modify SAS code using the SAS Program Editor. This latest and expanded version includes Base SAS 9.1.3, SAS/STAT, SAS/GRAPH, SAS/QC, SAS/ETS, and SAS Enterprise Guide 4.1; it's bundled with The Little SAS Book for Enterprise Guide 4.1. Get that extra competitive advantage: Prepare for the SAS Base Programming and Advanced Programming Certification Exams using SAS Learning Edition 4.1!

Important notes

• This software will operate through December 31, 2011.
• This product will process and display the first 1500 observations of any size data set from any given data source.
• This product is licensed for use on one (1) workstation at a time, for non-production purposes only. Concurrent usage or use on a network is not authorized.
• Limited product support is available via the SAS Learning Edition Web site and an interactive tutorial included with the product.

System requirements

• Microsoft Windows 2000 or XP Professional
• Works on Microsoft Windows operating systems only, not on Windows Server operating systems
• 1,080 MB hard disk storage
• 256 MB RAM minimum, 512 MB RAM recommended

Customer Reviews (3)

Easy to use SAS with or without programming!
If you want to learn SAS for school or work, this is an easy way to pick it up and learn it in short order.It is based on SAS Enterprise Guide 4.1 and SAS 9.1.3 (a very recent release of SAS production software.)

The main disadvantage is the license restricts this to learning or educational purposes and there is a limit on how much data can be used in your analysis (educational purposes implies modest amounts of data.)

Otherwise, with SAS at work running to thousands of dollars per seat, this is an affordable way to have and use SAS!

You can program in SAS language or use the point and click interface of Enterprise Guide tasks and wizards.These tasks and wizards make it easy for novices to open, manage, report on, summarize, graph, and analyze data all with a convenient point and click interface (no programming is needed!)

SAS Software for 65 bucks?A Great Deal!!
SAS is a powerful product.As someone pointed out in the review for the earlier edition, SAS Programmers are in huge demand because SAS is required by the FDA for all pharmaceutical companies in order to bring drugs to market.It is used by 98 of the Fortune 100 companies.And it is the defacto standard for the financial industry with the anti-money laundering laws.

The flipside is that SAS is not intuitive -- you can't just read a book and learn it without actually having it in front of you and the classes are expensive (although their online training is quite reasonable). If you don't have access to SAS you aren't going to be able to learn it effectively.It isn't like Java or C where you can just go out and get a free compiler and play around with it on your own. I work for a bank where we use SAS exclusively for IT Data analysis.I need to be able to learn SAS quickly and for me, that means learning at home in my infinite gravity chair.

True, it expires in a bit less than 2 years.However, this is intended to be a learning tool -- not a business tool.And even business versions of SAS must be renewed every year -- you don't renew, the software is useless.That is the SAS business model and it has been very effective for them -- just as the MS Windows license scheme is designed to maximize the market share and profitability of that company.

My only complaint is that I wish that SAS would come out with an "intermediate" version for home users -- something that could handle more data and contained all of the procedures of Base SAS.But then SAS would face having others try to abuse the intent of the product and circumvent their license structure just as some would like to do with the learning edition.I also wish they would come out with a LINUX version.

The next price point is to purchase a "full" license for over $7000.00 which also has to be renewed each year.Yikes!

I was going to purchase the Little SAS Book for EG anyway which is 60 bucks by itself.So in essence, I'm getting the software for 65 bucks.With that pricing, I could buy a new version of the Learning Edition every 2 years (by which point SAS will have updated their software so would want the newer version anyway) and it would be 140 years before the full-fledged license to become cost effective.

SAS and statistics in general are becoming more and more important job skills (ever hear of Six Sigma?) so an entry-level package that gives folks an opportunity to learn how to use both is invaluable for anyone that wants to enhance their marketability -- regardless of what industry you work in.

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UPDATED TO ADD USABILITY REVIEW

I realized I did not speak to the usability of the product which may be of more interest (thanks to the reader for suggesting this).

The SAS Learning Edition 4.1 is an effective learning tool for those who are just starting out with SAS and those who want to become hardcore BASE SAS programmers.

If you are just starting out with SAS and Statistical Analysis, you will want to start with SAS Enterprise Guide (EG) -- a windows-based wizard-like front end for calculating sample statistics, creating graphs, performing ANOVA, regression, and Time-Series Analysis.The advantage to using SAS EG is that you don't have to know a lick of code to actually use SAS.The downside, of course, is that it does not teach you how to actually program in SAS.It is like using the "address book" feature on your cell phone -- you can easily call anyone you have in your adress book.However, if you actually need to recall their phone number, you won't know it because you are relying on the memory of the phone and not your own.

SAS EG is a bit like training wheels.It will get you started.However, once you have mastered the basic analysis tools within SAS, you will want to refine them to be most appropriate with your data.For example, SAS EG relies on a certain set of defaults and often those defaults will be oriented towards the most common user applications which tend to be either social sciences or pharmaceuticals.If you are trying to analyze IT or financial data, you may need to change the defaults in order to make the analyses more appropriate for your goals.

The great thing about SAS EG is that it allows you to view actual SAS code.You can then cut and paste that and start using the SAS Program editor to take your skill sets one step further and learn the nuts and bolts of SAS Programming.Think of the difference between SAS EG and SAS Programming as using Visual C to create a program vs actually starting with C-code and building from scratch.Again, SAS Learning Edition will allow you to make that progression.

This progression will make a significant difference to potential employers if you are looking to enhance your resume by being able to add SAS to your list of skills.Some companies are looking for individuals who can do the basics with SAS EG.However, many employers are going to be looking for individuals who can use both EG AND SAS Programming.If you really want to separate yourself from the pack, you will take the time to learn the actual SAS Programming language.Again, it is like the difference between getting a bachelors degree and a masters.A bachelors implies you know the "what and how" to do something.However, a Masters implies you know how to do the "when" and "why" and how to extend the concepts when they don't fit the basic applications.

Finally, the differences between SAS Learning Edition 4.1 vs 2.1 is that you are getting the most up-to-date version of the software.SAS, like any software program, continues to evolve.While the SAS programming language is pretty stable and is not changing significantly from one year to the next, the SAS EG Interface and Architecture are undergoing constant revision as user feedback is incorporated and as programming technologies continue to evolve.Since SAS Business Licenses are renewed every year, they will tend to upgrade their software version (they want to feel like they get something for their renewal fee.)It isn't like if you don't want Vista, you just don't upgrade and therefore, you don't have to look for people with Vista skills.

Businesses will expect that people they hire have knowledge of the current release because that is what they most likely have -- once again, this is a side effect of the SAS License model.Again, this is another reason why the expiration of the 4.1 LE for 12/2008 is not a significant limitation -- by 12/2008, there will be at least one major release by SAS -- maybe 2 (SAS is planning a major release towards the end of 2007 and based on history, most likely will have another Service Pack or significant point release before the end of 2008)

Hope this helps.

I don't think so
I was a fan of 2.0, but the price of SAS Learning Edition 4.1 is just too high.I do not own this version, and do not plan to, and therefore I have based this review on published features of the product.Look elsewhere if you want to know about practical experience with SAS LE 4.1.On the plus side it comes with the book "The Little SAS Book for Enterprise Guide 4.1," and will process and display the first 1500 observations of your data, as opposed to 1000 with 2.0.On the downside, the license expires on Dec. 31, 2008, as opposed to Dec. 1, 2008 for 2.0, after which time it will apparently not be usable.All this for about twice the price of 2.0.Fine for SAS to provide a learning resource, but if they really want to provide an educational service (rather than being just another part of the problem with education) I think they should make it available at a price that is affordable to learners.

***Note added on 2/16/2008: I see that since the time I wrote this review, the "die date" for version 4.1 has been extended by 3 years to December 31, 2011. I think that's a very good move by SAS, and more in line with the price they've set. It's still a shame that the price increased so much since the previous edition however, especially since the target audience for this product is people who simply want to learn SAS.Many may not be making a lot of money, and are looking at products like this to help them improve their skillset so that they can qualify for jobs requiring basic proficiency in SAS.It seems to me like basic SAS competencies among as many people in the general population as possible would only be good for the company.If I were considering an expensive commercial license, I would certainly want to know that there is a large potential workforce with basic skills.

The increase in list price was a little over 59%, compared to the last version (2.0). SAS LE 4.1 is bundled with "The Little SAS Book for Enterprise Guide 4.1," and if you subtract out the list price of the book and recalculate, the price increase would still be a little over 18%.I understand that SAS needs to make a profit, however it would be really impressive to see them take a greater leadership role in education, and do more than the typical lip-service on the role of societal issues in calculating the bottom line, by making learning editions more affordable and accessible to anyone who wants to learn SAS.

One other thing I noticed in Amazon's description above is that system requirements are Windows 2000 or XP Professional. On SAS' website, they go a little further and state that it is "not supported on any Microsoft Vista Operating System." ... Read more

Book Description
Aimed at researchers and students , SAS Programming: The One-Day Course provides an introduction to the SAS programming language. It gives the reader a start in SAS programming and the basic data manipulations and statistical summaries that are available through SAS. The book has its origins in material prepared by the author for a one-day course in SAS programming, and the fact that it has been developed from a training course is reflected in the concise nature of the presentation.Unlike other introductory competitors on the market, this is a pocket-sized reference that does not clutter the programming techniques presented by trying to teach statistical techniques at the same time. Strong on explanations of how to carry out data manipulations that real-life data often call for, each programming technique is supported by tasks to develop skills and confidence. It also contains "tasks" for the reader, complete with solutions. Datasets and the programming code are available to download from www.crcpress.com/e_products/downloads.Once readers have mastered the topics covered in the book, they will be well placed to learn further aspects of SAS programming. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Not a One-Day-Course
I used SAS/BASE a couple of years ago, and stop, then I started a job where I need to start programming in SAS. I really thought that this would have been a one-day-course, but it does not allow you to learn very much in one-day.

This is defintely not for a beginner.

ok book
It is mildly helpful. Does not have any in depth programming codes.Can be used as a reference.

Right idea, wrong size
After a brief browse through this very-small-format book, I decided to return it and provide this review to warn other SAS users.If you want a pocket-size, reference-lite and are comfortable reading micro-sized text, then this book may be for you.The topics are presented in a rational sequence, but the actual size of the volume effectively makes it unusable. ... Read more

Book Description
Skill-building resources for experienced and novice users alike are found in this concise collection of programming examples. Each one-page topic contains a brief description of the technique followed by the original and improved pieces of SAS code. After reading this book you'llunderstand specific techniques to improve the efficiency of SAS programs and why they work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Best among SAS programming guides
There is not enough reference-book for SAS Programmers. But this book is very concise, clear-cut and literally "effective".

When I was in trouble because of SAS programs' performance, this book helped me out ofperformance trouble.

I changed my programs according to book's advice.And I got almost 5 times higher performance.

This book is best among SASprogramming guides. ... Read more

Product Description
Getting started with SAS is easy with The Little SAS Book. This friendly, easy-to-read guide gently introduces you to the most commonly used features of SAS software plus a whole lot more! The book has been revised to include concepts of the Output Delivery System; the STYLE= option in the PRINT, REPORT, and TABULATE procedures; ODS HTML, RTF, PRINTER, and OUTPUT destinations; PROC REPORT; more on PROC TABULATE; exporting data; and the colon modifier for informats. You'll find clear and concise explanations of basic SAS concepts (such as DATA and PROC steps), inputting data, modifying and combining data sets, summarizing and presenting data, basic statistical procedures, and debugging SAS programs. Each topic is presented in a self-contained, two-page layout complete with examples and graphics. This format enables new users to get up and running quickly, while the examples allow you to type in the program and see it work! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (79)

excellent reference for beginners and those needing a refresher
This book is concise and has many of the key ideas that beginning SAS programmers need. It is a good reference even for advanced SAS programmers but does not go far beyond the basics. If you use SAS regularly this will not have enough information for you. However, it is the quickest way to find out how to do something basic that you either have never done or forgot how to do. I only have the 2nd edition, so I can't comment on any changes that may be incorporated in the third edition.

Depends on who you are
I think beginners would probably be satisfied with this book. It includes a fair amount of text. Sections which introduce functions, for instance, generally include some sort of explanation indicating why and when the given function might be used. That said, I do think some of the explanations could be improved. The section about the 'retain' function (p 92), for example, does not actually indicate that something should generally follow the 'retain' statement, and I do think something like this may confuse beginning users.

Intermediate or advanced users might find the text unnecessarily long. They might also take issue with the treatment of the material, which I think is at times slightly sloppy (e.g., I feel that some of the technical explanations are sometimes a bit "off"). Still, not a bad reference to have around.

Good quick reference
This book is very useful for quick reference.Good for beginners or for experienced sas user who want a quick reference guide.

Great book for beginners!!!
This book is wonderful for those of us who are just learning how to use SAS!

Whew, this book saved me!
I've only read two chapters of this book, but compared to the text and course notes my instructor gave out....this book helps me greatly!! ... Read more

Book Description
Working with longitudinal data introduces a unique set of challenges.Once you've mastered the art of performing calculations within a single observation of a data set, you're faced with the task of performing calculations or making comparisons between observations. It is simple to look backward in data sets, but how do you look forward and across observations? Ron Cody provides straightforward answers to these and other questions. This book details useful techniques for conducting operations between observations in a SAS data set. For quick reference, the book is conveniently organized to cover: tools--an introduction to powerful SAS programming techniques for longitudinal data; case studies--a variety of illuminating examples that use Ron's techniques; and macros--detailed descriptions of helpful longitudinal data macros. Beginning to intermediate SAS users will appreciate this book's informative, easy-to-comprehend style. And those users who frequently process longitudinal data will learn to make the most of their analyses by following Ron's methodologies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Worth every penny!
This book has helped me so much at work. I like the clear explanation of what each line in the programs. Good examples of each topic. ... Read more

Book Description
Examples galore will guide you in this invaluable how-to guide for basic programming with base SAS software! With this task-oriented guide, you will learn, step by step, how to use DATA step programming and base SAS procedures to perform common tasks in your daily use of SAS software. By following examples, you will master basic programming techniques; learn methods for combining SAS data sets; produce basic detailed and summary reports; and enhance your reports with the Output Delivery System including transforming your SAS output into HTML or RTF formats and PDF files. This book is designed for new users who have an introductory-level knowledge of SAS software and for intermediate users who want help with specific tasks or to learn new ones. Written in a succinct and conversational tone, this book has something for every SAS programmer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Mediocre SAS Reference
This book is not worthless, but it's not particularly full of information either.I am probably not the best reviewer of SAS books because I am not very experienced with SAS.Nevertheless, my impression of the book is that while it is well organized and easy to navigate, it does not have the content to do even slightly more sophisticated programming than the bare basics. ... Read more

Book Description
Prepare for the SAS Base Programming Exam with the only guide authorized by the SAS Certified Professional Program. Increase your credibility as a technical professional, expand your knowledge of SAS software, and increase your career options and marketability by becoming a globally recognized SAS Certified Professional. Designed for new and experienced SAS users who want to prepare for the SAS Base Programming certification exam, this comprehensive guide covers all of the objectives tested on the exam and more. Major topics include basic concepts, producing reports, creating and modifying SAS data sets, and reading various types of raw data. Each chapter includes a quiz on the chapter's contents. Answer keys are included. Includes a free CD-ROM with tutorials, practice data, and sample programs to test your SAS skills!

This book prepares you for the current SAS Base Programming Exam, which is available through December 31, 2006. Certification credentials are valid for three years. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Useful
It is useful in preparing me for the SAS Certification Exam.It goes over the things, one by one, that we need to know.

good book
helps you get started on SAS even if you have absolutely no background. Might need to read others books to clear the base SAS exam though. I would recommend this book to any starter.

Passed SAS Base Programming Certification Test for SAS9 by using the guidebook
Bought the Prep Guide (SAS9) two months ago, read it twice and did
all quizes after each chapter. Then, reviewed the book contents and
all problems again. The information is massive, you got to put them
in an organized way so that you are able to retrieve them easily and
fast when you are taking test. Answering 70 questions in 2 hrs, there
is a plenty of time. Good luck!

We Cleared and got a score of 100%
Took the Base SAS Certification exam 2 weeks back and got through it successfully. Regarding test preparation me and my friend went through the concepts of this book once and revised the book 3 times. We spent 2 weeks for reading and one week for revising.
It doesn't matter how many times you read the book, but I strongly recommend to write and practice the programs given in the book. By doing this, not only comfortable with the logic and also can able to apply so many concepts already encountered in this book.

Don't just browse the book, try to read and understand each and every line in the book, since I personally feel that it will be helpful in exam. Many think that going through the book again and again will enough, but taking practice exams will make the task much easier. Because applying the concepts and logic are more crucial than reading. Try to take as many exams as possible, try out to get(buy) questions from some of the certification websites. If possible try to read the Little SAS Book to gain more information.

I took SAS Base Certification 8, but it is valid only through 12/31/2006. As far as I know, the only difference between SAS Base 8 and Base 9 is they added some more functions like CATX function in Chapter 14. Good luck in preparing for the Base SAS Exam.

Happy with the book but not the CD-ROM
I have recently purchased this book and still reading it. My only disappointment is the CD-ROM, I didn't know we need to have the SAS software in order to use the CD-ROM. So I can only read the book but can't use the CD-ROM. ... Read more

Book Description
Currently, the only SAS Base Certification Exam study guide on the market is published by the SAS Institute, Inc. SAS Study Guide presents an alternative aid that is written from the viewpoint of a SAS certified, but not SAS affiliated, author. Each study topic is given its own chapter of focus, providing both a conceptual and practical approach to each area of focus, as every explanation is followed by an example. A breakdown of key facts is provided at the end of each chapter, as well as practice questions that are presented in the same format as they appear on the actual certification exam. The author provides the answers to these practice questions, along with tips for remembering and applying the necessary Base SAS skills. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

This is not the ticket
I found this book to be almost totally worthless and a waste of time.Instead, do yourself a favor and get the real book from SAS Publishing.

Alex
I gave this book 4 stars only because it contains lots of grammatical typos. It can complicate the studying process for those who don't know basic SAS well enough. For example, it is unacceptable to print like '31dec99' d (page108) or _nul _l (page 61) or _null _ (page 62). In my opinion, it is very confusing for the beginners. Otherwise the book contains lots of various good examples and exercises with answers. What I liked especially is the way the author explained data sets merging. It is very simple to understand. So this book may be a helpful addition to SAS Certification Prep Guide : Base Programming for SAS 9. ... Read more

Book Description
Numerous step-by-step examples show you--the economist, business forecaster, student, or researcher--how to use SAS to generate forecasts for a variety of business and economic data. Examples are based on both time series models and econometric models. You'll learn how to use SAS to forecast time series data using Box-Jenkins ARIMA methodology; develop and forecast transfer functions and intervention models; fit and forecast regression models with autocorrelated, heteroskedastic, and ARCH-GARCH error terms; estimate nonlinear regression models; create forecast confidence limits using Monte Carlo simulation; and more! The main focus of the book is on the code-based procedures in SAS/ETS software, but this book also provides an introduction to the interactive Time Series Forecasting System, and it shows how to plot data and forecasts with SAS/GRAPH software. ... Read more

Book Description
Intended for use as a core text or to supplement any introductory or intermediate level statistics course, this book presents the basics of the SAS system in a well-paced, structured, non-threatening manner.It provides an introduction to the SAS system for data management, analysis, and reporting using the subset of the language ideally suited for beginning students, while at the same time serving as a useful reference for intermediate or advanced users.Students learn the language's power and flexibility with many real-world examples drawn from the author's industry experience.Beginning with an overview of the system, this text shows students how to read data, perform simple analyses, and produce simple reports.More complex topics are carefully introduced, guiding students to manage multiple datasets and write custom reports.More advanced statistical techniques such as correlation, regression, and analysis of variance are presented in later chapters. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Excellent beginner's book
I used this book in grad school to refresh my very limited SAS knowledge for a course I was doing. I'd used other books during my undergrad days, but none of them was as helpful as this one. It's a good way for a beginner to ease themselves into SAS without getting tangled in the complexities.

Now, several years down the road with many years of experience as a SAS programmer, I still recommend this book to anyone who asks me to point them in the direction of a good book to use for learning SAS.

For beginners, two books better than one
I suggest getting both a book like this, for its greater comprehensivity, combined with another one (like 'SAS programming By Example') for its more user friendly accessibility, if you are a beginner.Both books can be used as a starting text, and having two books can be better than one, and each one complements the other.

Good for beginners
This is the best introductory SAS book I have seen.It introduces the basic SAS structure and programming statements.A good and detailed explanation is provided for DATA step vs. PROC, a topic that always provesto be difficult to grasp for SAS newbies.

The book starts with SASterminology and logic, i.e., how SAS works its magic.It moves on tosimple tasks such as reading in data, summarizing it, and displaying it. Then there are chapters on SAS programming elements (expressions, logicflows, etc.) as well as intermediate-advanced statements.The MERGEstatement is explained very clearly.

Examples abound, although I feelthat they are presented in a very confusing format -- often you can't tellif a block of text belongs to the main text or an example.Theorganization of the book is also a little confusing, esp. if you want touse it as a reference book (not recommended; stick with SAS manual setinstead).

In short, this book provides an excellent ovewview of SAS. Read the chapters in sequence and you'll soon be on your way to happySAS'ing!

A fabulous introduction to SAS essentials
If you are in need of data management or analysis, SAS is likely big on your list. This book gives extremely clear and useful introductions to how SAS is structured, how to manipulate and organize data, and some basicstatistical procedures (descriptive statistics, ANOVA, OLS models, etc.)are also presented.

Official SAS manuals are usually bulky, complicated,and difficult to understand, particularly if you have little/no experiencewith SAS. This book can take a complete beginner through data set creationand manipulation into substantially more complex and important proceduresand functions. As this is an introduction to the SAS system, the moreadvanced functions in SAS, such as SAS STAT, are not covered in any detail.However, in order to understand how to actually use SAS and manipulate dataso as to employ these higher level procedures, this book is excellent.

This is the absolute best introduction on how to use the SAS system Ihave seen, but it has lots of useful information for people with some basicSAS knowledge as well. It is presented in the style of a textbook,with eachsection concluding with problems (with answers provided) that the aspiringSAS programmer can solve.

If you are just starting to look into SAS, Icannot recommend this book highly enough. 'If I was able to do it, anyonecan.'

This is a good beginner's guide.
I went to the Fundamentals of SAS course held at the SAS Institute and was left in dire need of more information. This book was a first step. The exercises in the book were helpful and reinforcing. If you need more thanbrginner's knowledge, then you'll have to purchase another book but this isgood to get started. ... Read more

Book Description

Second Edition

SAS® PROGRAMMING FOR RESEARCHERS AND SOCIAL SCIENTISTS

Customer Reviews (1)

too simplistic
After getting this book from the library, I quickly learned that this book spends far too much time on the basic statistics and not nearly enough on what I actually want to do. When "complex statistics" includes one-way ANOVA, covered in about 1 page, I know the book isn't going to be helpful on its own. ... Read more

Book Description
With the SAS programming language, you can access data in any kind of file and process it in any way you can imagine.It provides the data processing power behind everything from data warehouses to scientific studies -- and it is so easy to use that anyone who can use a computer can become a programmer.In Professional SAS Programming Logic, leading expert Rick Aster describes the unique qualities of the SAS language and takes you beyond the tried and true to show the unlimited possibilities of SAS programming. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not bad, but definitely not good either
The book is useful if you are not new to SAS, however there are definitely better written books available.Comparing a code (given as example) and its output are often hard to follow as the text says nothing about the data file structure.The spelling errors (admittedly few) are very annoying.One doesn't expect them in professionally written text.

Useful, but not for novices
This book is up-to-date, nicely organized, and full of useful information.It is intended to be of value to readers who have some general programming experience and is, by extension, ideal for those who already have some knowledge of SAS programming.My only complaint, and it is not an insignificant one, is that the writing is often unclear.I find too many passages that I understand only because I know quite a bit about SAS already.I fear that other readers with less experience will end up puzzled or misinformed.This is a good SAS book, but it is not a good "first" SAS book. ... Read more