Using the SAS^® System

This web page is intended to help you to learn how to use SAS while affiliated with Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

• For information about other statistical programs, see: VT Software Applications - Statistics.

• For information about Virginia Tech Computing Resources, see: Welcome to Computing at VT.

After you have started SAS, the "Help" menu in the tool bar can be used to access SAS Documentation.  An online tutorial is available as "Getting Started with SAS Software" on this menu. To access the documentation for individual SAS products, from the Help menu, select "SAS Help and Documentation", open the "Contents" tab and then select the product of interest.

• Introduction
  • SAS Availability at Virginia Tech
  • SAS Support for Virginia Tech Affiliates

• Using SAS Commands for the First Time
  • Initial SAS Exercises: Learn about using the SAS System with some very simple programs.
  • SAS Syntax: What is the structure of SAS statements?
  • Example Survey Data Set
  • Example Survey Program
  • Learning to Interpret SAS Error Diagnostics
  • Suggestions for Learning SAS
  • Sample SAS Programs

• Executing SAS Programs in Various Environments
  • Using the Display Manager System (DMS)
  • Using SAS/Connect to execute programs across systems or to access distributed databases

• SAS Data Set Processing
  • Input Data Specifications
  • Data Assignment and Transformation Statements
  • Using External Files including critical concepts such as the SAS LIBNAME and FILENAME statements
  • Using Multiple SAS Data Sets
  • Creating Raw Data Files and Reports
  • Using the SAS Full Screen Product (FSP)
  • Transferring SAS Data Sets Among Operating Systems
  • Advanced Data Step Applications
    • Suggestions for Coding Data
    • Using the Array Statement
    • Restructuring Data
    • Repetitive Data Processing
  • Data Set Practice Exercise

• Selected SAS Procedures
  • SAS Product Descriptions
  • Listing of SAS/BASE Procedures
  • Listing of SAS/STAT Procedures
  • Listing of SAS/Graph Procedures
  • Using SAS/Insight for Interactive Data Analysis

• SAS Institute Resources
  • SAS Institute Web Site
  • SAS Institute Publications
  • SAS Institute Sample Programs
  • SAS Institute Tech Support Usage Notes
  • SAS Institute FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
  • Search SAS Institute Information Database

• Virginia Tech SAS FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)