SAS Companion for the Microsoft Windows Environment

The SAS System: Exploiting the Power of Microsoft Windows

Windows is an operating environment developed by Microsoft Corporation to allow more control over the capabilities of your personal computer. It provides a flexible, easy-to-use working environment for which there are thousands of software applications. Version 8 of the SAS System under Windows is a complete implementation of the SAS System. The following Windows environments support Version 8:

Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 (Build 1981, Service Pack 4)
Microsoft Windows 95 (Build 950 or greater)
Microsoft Windows 98 (Build 1998)

Note: Except where noted, the examples and instructions provided in this book assume that you are running the SAS System under Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0. For more information about how to use the Windows interface, see the documentation for the Windows environment that you use. [cautionend]

Optimum Performance

Version 8 of the SAS System takes advantage of the improved performance of the operating environment. For example, the following operating environment improvements will positively affect your SAS programs:

the 32-bit operating system enables your SAS programs to execute faster.
the improved fault isolation capabilities ensure that if another application fails, your SAS session is not affected.
the additional resources reduce resource contention, so your SAS programs execute more efficiently.
the redesigned interface in Windows 95 and Windows NT makes SAS easier to use.

An Integral Part of your Desktop Solution

The SAS System is an integrated suite of software for enterprise-wide information delivery that supports data access, data management, data analysis, and data presentation. The SAS System under Windows is designed to let you complete your data- and computation-intensive tasks while integrating with the Windows applications that are already in place on your desktop and within your enterprise. The SAS System supports information sharing through the most powerful tools and techniques that Windows has to offer, including

OLE
Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)
Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)
electronic mail system
Windows "groupware" applications such as Lotus Notes
pipes and named pipes
the Windows clipboard.

Compatible and Maintainable

Version 8 of the SAS System under Windows can read and write SAS data sets created by earlier releases of SAS. However, in order to bridge the upgrades in SAS System catalog architecture and differences in operating system structure, catalogs must be converted from earlier formats (such as Release 6.04 under DOS or Release 6.08 under Windows) to Version 8 format using the transport procedures CPORT and CIMPORT.

Compatibility with previous releases of the SAS System has been balanced against a desire to take advantage of Windows features. Specifically, the SAS System under Windows takes full advantage of the graphical interface. Most existing SAS commands and windows are implemented, but where appropriate, interactive dialog boxes and various graphical user interface controls are used so the selection of operations is highly intuitive and interactive.

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