SAS/FSP Software Procedures Guide

Creating FSVIEW Applications

If you are an applications developer, you can use the FSVIEW procedure as the basis for data entry applications and editing applications. The FSVIEW procedure enables you to customize the application environment to suit the needs of your users. Customization can include

redesigning the display
defining formulas for creating computed variables or for manipulating data set variables
setting general parameters that control the behavior of the FSVIEW session.

The feature of the FSVIEW procedure that makes this customization possible is the FORMULA entry. Formula entries are SAS catalog entries of type FORMULA that are created by the FSVIEW procedure to record the following information about the FSVIEW session:

the names and order of variables in the FSVIEW window.
any formula definitions for the variables.
the format and informat of variables for which specific formats or informats are assigned, using the FORMAT or INFORMAT commands in the FSVIEW window.
Note: Formats and informats that are specified in the data set or by using FORMAT and INFORMAT statements in conjunction with the PROC FSVIEW statement at procedure invocation are not recorded in the FORMULA entry.

The format and informat for computed variables are always stored in the FORMULA entry. If a FORMAT or INFORMAT command for a computed variable does not specify a valid format or informat, it is ignored.
the current size and position of the FSVIEW window. (These values can be reset with the SETWSZ command.)
the current FSVIEW window colors.
the initial values for variables in added observations. (These values can be reset with the INITIAL command.)
the current settings of all general parameters: Autoadd, Autosave value, Hscroll value, Vscroll value, and Cursor variable.

Creating and Updating Formula Entries

If you specify a catalog name or a complete formula name when you open an FSVIEW window (by using the FORMULA= option in the PROC FSVIEW statement, the formula-name argument in the FSVIEW command, or the FORMULA= option in the BROWSE, EDIT, and NEW commands in the FSVIEW window), a FORMULA entry is created automatically when the FSVIEW window is closed. You can also create a FORMULA entry by issuing a SAVE FORMULA command in the FSVIEW window. If you specify only a catalog name, the FSVIEW procedure uses the name of the displayed data set as the formula name.

Loading Formula Entries

To load an existing FORMULA entry when you invoke the FSVIEW procedure, use the FORMULA= option in the PROC FSVIEW statement or the formula-name argument in the FSVIEW command. You can also use the FORMULA= option in the BROWSE, EDIT, and NEW commands in the FSVIEW window to load a FORMULA entry for additional FSVIEW windows that are opened during the FSVIEW session. You can use the FORMULA command in an open FSVIEW window to change the FORMULA entry that is used for the window or to load a FORMULA entry if none was used when the window was originally opened. (The FORMULA command is valid even if you do not specify a formula catalog when you invoke the FSVIEW procedure.)

Chapter Contents
Previous
Next
Top of Page