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Changes and Enhancements for Version 7 and Version 8 |
SAS/ACCESS software provides an interface between the SAS System
and relational database management systems (DBMSs). In Version 6, the SAS/ACCESS
interface consisted of one or more of the following: the ACCESS and DBLOAD
procedures, a SAS/ACCESS interface view engine, and the SQL Procedure Pass-Through
Facility. These features continue to be supported in Versions 7 and 8, in
addition to the following new features that are available in Version 7 and
later:
- SAS Explorer window
- enables you to navigate within an interactive SAS session by
using a new, point-and-click interface. This window replaces the ACCESS window,
which was available in earlier releases of SAS software. For details about
using this window, see your host companion or SAS Language Reference: Concepts.
- SAS/ACCESS LIBNAME statement for Relational
Database Interfaces
- enables you to assign a SAS libref directly to a relational DBMS
(RDBMS) or to objects in an RDBMS, such as tables and views. You no longer
need to create access and view descriptors, although all previously created
access and view descriptors are fully supported in Version 7 and later.
- enables you to use many new SAS/ACCESS LIBNAME options to specify
how objects in your RDBMS data are processed by SAS.
- enables you to customize how to connect to your RDBMS and how
to control data locking.
- SAS/ACCESS data set options for Relational Database Interfaces
- enable you to use many new
SAS/ACCESS data set options to specify
how your relational DBMS data are processed by SAS and how to control data
locking.
- enable you to use several base SAS data set options on data sets
that access RDBMS data.
- Enhanced naming conventions and support
- enable you to use 32-byte names for SAS data
set and variable
names and for relational DBMS table and column names when you use the new SAS/ACCESS
LIBNAME statement.
- enable you to store character data in SAS software up to 32,767
bytes.
- enable you to use mixed case and nonstandard names that are not
supported in Version 6.
- Performance optimization
- passes joins directly to the relational DBMS for
processing.
- makes better use of RDBMS indexes.
- provides enhanced interrupt- and
error-handling.
- New macro variables
- enable you to use two new macro variables,
SYSDBRC and
SYSDBMSG, for reporting RDBMS-specific errors.
- Relational DBMS support in PROC SQL
- enables you to access RDBMS data
directly by using PROC SQL.
- enables you to update and delete RDBMS data directly through SQL
or through a simple PROC SQL view that references the underlying data.
- enables you to join RDBMS data so that the RDBMS processes the
join more efficiently.
- enables you to use the new DBCONDITION= data set option to subset
RDBMS data within a PROC SQL view so that the RDBMS processes the subsetting
conditions.
- enables you to store embedded LIBNAME statements in PROC SQL views
by using the new
using libname
syntax.
- The PROC windowing interface is not supported in Version 7 and
later
- Full Version 6 compatibility for existing SAS programs that use
descriptors, the ACCESS procedure, the DBLOAD procedure, and the SQL Procedure
Pass-Through Facility.
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Changes and Enhancements to DBMS Product Support |
In Version 7 and later, SAS/ACCESS Software for
Relational Databases consists of one or more of the following: the SAS/ACCESS
LIBNAME statement (and new options), the ACCESS and DBLOAD procedures, a
SAS/ACCESS interface view engine, and the SQL Procedure Pass-Through Facility
(with new options). Not all of these components are available in every SAS/ACCESS
interface. Please refer to your DBMS chapter for details. The ACCESS and DBLOAD
procedures remain compatible with Version 6.
There are a number of relational DBMS changes and enhancements in Version
7 and Version 8:
- New relational DBMS Interfaces have been added:
-
SAS/ACCESS interfaces to OLE DB and Teradata are new in Version 8.
See their DBMS chapters for more information.
- SAS/ACCESS Interface to ODBC has new access:
- In Version 7 and later, the SAS/ACCESS Interface to ODBC
enables you to access various kinds of DBMS data, including AS/400 data and
Microsoft SQL Server data. You can no longer access these databases directly;
instead, you use a new conversion procedure, PROC CV2ODBC, which is described
in SAS/ACCESS Software for Relational Databases: Reference (ODBC Chapter). This procedure enables you to convert Version 6 view descriptors
(SAS/ACCESS to AS/400 or SAS/ACCESS to SQL Server) and PROC SQL views (that
are based on Pass-Through code) to Version 7 or Version 8 PROC SQL views.
This new procedure is provided for upward compatibility. See your ODBC chapter
for more information about the CV2ODBC procedure.
- Oracle Rdb Support:
- The SAS/ACCESS LIBNAME and data set options are not supported
in the Oracle Rdb interface.
- SYBASE
-
The SAS/ACCESS interface to SYBASE is no longer supported in the
OS/2 operating environment. It continues to be supported in other operating
environments. The software vendor has ceased SYBASE support under OS/2.
Some RDBMS products have changed their names since the previous release:
- DB2 for UNIX (AIX) and DB2 for OS/2
- are now both supported in the SAS/ACCESS Interface to DB2
Under UNIX and PC Hosts. You can use previous aliases to access the data,
or you can use the alias DBMS=DB2.
- DEC Rdb
- is now Oracle Rdb. You use the same alias to access your
database data (DBMS=RDB).
- INGRES
- is now CA-OpenIngres. You use the same alias to access your
database data (for example, DBMS=INGRES).
Copyright 1999 by SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA. All rights reserved.