Prerequisites
The following software is required prior to attending the class. Some of the software will be supplied by the instructor while others is required on the student's machine.
Student's Requirements
- Windows XP
- Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox
- SAS version 8.12 or higher
- Microsoft Office: Word and Excel
Download Available
About Instructor
Sy Truong is the cofounder and president of MXI (Meta-Xceed, Inc.) since 1997. MXI provides software solutions within the Pharmaceutical Industry specializing
in CDISC data standards, SAS validation, electronic submission, data analysis and reporting. Sy is one of the committee members of the Bay Area SAS User Group (www.basas.com). He is a frequent contributor and presenter
at PharmaSUG, WUSS, and SUGI conferences. He's currently writing a book for SAS Publishing entitled
Becoming a SAS Clinical Trials Programmer. |
Course Introduction
SAS macros are great at automating repetitive tasks as a code generator. However, there are some features of macros that make them difficult to understand and debug. The syntax of SAS macros is similar to that of traditional SAS data step but there is a level of abstraction. To accomplish its code generating function, SAS macros add percent signs (%) and
ampersand (&) in front of specified commands and variables. This layer can be confusing since it requires you to resolve
the macro before understanding what is being processed. This confusion is compounded when things are nested. Macro variables can be nested by resolving into other macro variables. Macros themselves can call other macros which creates a nested looping structure. Macro code can sometimes be spaghetti code. It is therefore helpful for the user and the person maintaining the macros to make the macros user friendly. |
