Agenda and Details

Abstract: This 50-minute presentation provides an in-depth examination of how to work with variables (columns) in your SAS data sets representing the dates and/or times. Starting with the fundamentals, this presentation offers both new and experienced SAS users insights in to many tools in BASE SAS that are available create, analyze and manage "time domain" data. We will look at how SAS stores the values of dates and times, how to display these values using SAS-supplied formats, how to assign values to date, time or datetime variables, and how to apply SAS programming language functions to calculate the number of intervals between two dates or to find a future date from an existing date. Also disucussed are date and time INFORMATS, functions to determine the month, day, or weekday on which a date occured, and the use of the TODAY(), TIME() and DATETIME() programming language functions, as well as ways to supply a date or time constant in a DATA STEP or WHERE clause.

Andrew Karp first started using SAS Software while a graduate student at The George Washington University. A 25-year SAS user and SAS Certified Professional, Andrew now makes his home in the northern California wine country, where he has his own independent computer software consulting and training firm, Sierra Information Services. His is a frequent speaker at DCSUG and many other events for SAS users, including 13 consecutive SUGI/SGF conferences and user group events in the People's Republic of China, Australa, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the Netherlands.

Abstract: In 23 years as a SASŪ consultant at the Federal Reserve Board, Bruce Gilsen has seen SAS users make the same mistakes year after year. This paper reviews some common mistakes, and shows how to fix them. The following topics are reviewed.

1. Changing the order of variables in a SAS data set.
2. A PROC SQL SELECT clause, when no rows are selected.
3. PROC SQL SELECT clauses select formatted values.
4. Assigning a variable name as the value of another variable.

In the context of reviewing these mistakes, the paper provides details about SAS system processing that can help users employ the SAS system more effectively. This paper is the fourth of its type; the three previous papers review other common mistakes.

Bruce Gilsen has worked at the Federal Reserve Board for 25 years. He spends most of his time as an in-house SAS consultant. His Bruce Force fantasy baseball team is in a tight battle for 1st place as he tries for his 5th league title in 20 years.

Directions for those taking Metro:

• Take the Red Line to Union Station (map, courtesy of StationMasters).
• Exit the station via the Amtrak exit, but do not go up to the train level.
• Instead, after going up to and out through the farecard gates, turn to the left where there is an exit to the street (First Street NE).
• Directly across from the exit are the employee and visitors' entrances to the building. Satellite view (note that the green arrow is accurately located, but the associated address does not actually exist)

Drivers: get map and directions from MapQuest.

After checking in with security, take the main elevators down to the G level. BRING A PICTURE ID!

If you are new to DCSUG (or have not attended a meeting recently) and are planning to attend this meeting, please E-MAIL Anastasiya Osborne by September 3^rd and leave your name. Security at the Bureau of Labor Statistics is very tight and having your name on the list of possible attendees will make your entrance to the building easier.

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