Getting Started with SAS Enterprise Guide

Introduction

• Instructor: Luna
• Overview of SAS Enterprise Guide: a user-friendly application for SAS on Microsoft Windows that offers a visual interface.
• Tutorial will cover: accessing data, data preparation, analysis, programming features, process flows, and project organization.

Experience Level

• Audience engagement on experience with SAS Enterprise Guide (novice to experienced users).

Behind the Scenes

• SAS Interface:
  • Enterprise Guide prepares SAS code, which can be manually written or generated through tasks.
  • Code is processed by SAS, and results are returned to Enterprise Guide.

Projects

• Definition: A project is a collection of files (data, programs, logs, tasks, etc.) saved as a .EGP file.
• Features:
  • Control over contents, sequencing, and updating.
  • Tasks and wizards require projects to function.
  • Starting with EG 8.1: SAS programmers can open data without requiring a project.

Data Source Used

• Example Company: Orion Star Sports and Outdoors (fictitious).
• Data includes: products, orders, employees, and customers.
• Business scenarios provided for context.

Navigating Enterprise Guide

• Interface Layout:
  • Main menus/toolbar at the top.
  • Work area (Start page by default).
  • Navigation area on the left (Project pane, Open Items pane, Servers pane, Task pane, Prompt Manager pane).

Creating a Project

1. Open a project: File > New > Projects.
2. Add data: File > Open or using the folder icon.
3. Added data appears in the Project pane and active Process Flow.

Adding Data & Tasks

• Characterize Data Wizard: generates summary reports for data analysis.
  • Steps: Input verification, report option selection, unique categorical value limit.
• Output Results: viewed in tabs (code, log, results, output data).

Query Builder for Data Manipulation

• Purpose: Extract and manipulate data from one or more tables.
• Features: Filter data, create computed columns, join tables, etc.

Using Query Builder

• Business scenario: Analyze total amounts invoiced for internet orders.
• Steps:
  1. Open Orders table in Query Builder.
  2. Select required columns and filtering options.
  3. Create new columns (e.g., Invoice_Amt).
  4. Apply filters and sorting.

Analyzing Data with Tasks

• Example Tasks: One-way frequencies task, bar chart task, pie chart task.
• Task Roles: Input data, filter data, assign column roles (analysis, grouping).
• Customizing Results: Title modifications, choosing output formats (HTML, Excel, PDF, etc.).

Summary of Key Tasks

1. One-Way Frequencies Task:
   • Example: Products count by category.
   • Customizations include filtering, changing titles, and output formats.
2. Bar Chart Task:
   • Visual representation (bar charts) of data.
   • Steps: Assign variables, filter data, customize appearance.
3. Pie Chart Task:
   • Example: Total salary by department excluding sales.
   • Use SAS code to customize outputs.

Project Organization Recommendations

• Use descriptive names for tasks, processes, and outputs.
• Document important details with notes.
• Arrange objects logically and use background colors for distinction.

Programming in SAS

• Programming features: Formatting, integrated syntax help, autocomplete, data step debugger.
• Steps for Writing Code:
  • Use autocomplete for code efficiency.
  • Utilize the debugger for error checking.
  • Customize output formats via task properties.

Conclusion

• Resources for further learning about SAS Enterprise Guide and programming available.
• Encouragement to connect with SAS communities and follow relevant blogs.