If you like learning by example, then this straightforward book makes it easy to learn SAS programming. In an instructive and conversational tone, author Ron Cody clearly explains each programming technique and then illustrates it with one or more real-life examples, followed by a detailed description of how the program works. The text is divided into four major sections: Getting Started; DATA Step Processing; Presenting and Summarizing Your Data; and Advanced Topics. Subjects addressed include: Reading data from external sources Learning details of DATA step programming Subsetting and combining SAS data sets Understanding SAS functions and working with arrays Creating reports with PROC REPORT and PROC TABULATE Learning to use the SAS Output Delivery System Getting started with the SAS macro language Introducing PROC SQL You can test your knowledge and hone your skills by solving the problems at the end of each chapter. (Solutions to odd-numbered problems are located at the back of this book. Solutions to all problems are available to instructors by visiting the book's companion Web site for details.) This book is intended for beginners and intermediate users. Readers should know how to enter and submit a SAS program from their operating system. Includes a free CD-ROM with the example code, data sets, and solutions to odd-numbered problems....

Thoroughly updated for SAS 9, this second edition addresses tasks that nearly every SAS programmer needs to do - that is, make sure that data errors are located and corrected. Written in Ron Cody's signature informal, tutorial style, this book develops and demonstrates data cleaning programs and macros that you can use as written or modify for your own special data cleaning needs. Each topic is developed through specific examples, and every program and macro is explained in detail.

You'll learn how to

• find and correct errors in character and numeric values
• develop programming techniques related to dates and missing values
• use SQL approaches to data cleaning
• develop techniques for correcting your data errors
• use integrity constraints and audit trails to prevent errors from being added to a clean data set

Novice and experienced SAS users will discover ways to detect and correct data errors while learning how to apply DATA step programming techniques and SAS procedures....