SAS Dictionary Step by Step
From sasCommunity
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[edit] Author
Patrick Thornton Bio at SRI Internation
[edit] Reference
From: Thornton, S. P. (2007) ‘SAS DICTIONARY: Step by Step.’ Paper in the Proceedings of the 15th Annual Western Users of SAS® Software Conference, San Francisco, CA
[edit] Abstract
This paper offers a step by step visual review of SAS® 9.1 DICTIONARY tables for the beginning to intermediate SAS user who is generally unfamiliar with PROC SQL and macro programming. The content of the DICTIONARY tables, such as data set names, variable names, labels, and types, as well as external file and library paths, is visually explored using common procedures and SASHELP views. The paper demonstrates that DICTIONARY is accessible and valuable to beginning SAS users, reviews in plain terms many uses of DICTIONARY, shows some alternative techniques for obtaining metadata when applicable, and directs users to papers that featured more advanced techniques for using DICTIONARY.
[edit] Introduction
The SAS DICTIONARY library contains metadata. Metadata is often defined as data about data. It is valuable information about data, such as data set names, that is intelligently structured and stored as data; however, metadata may also be information about the broader SAS programming environment, such as options, formats, file names, library names and paths. In a still wider definition, Zhang, Chen, and Wong (2003) refer to metadata as structured information about an “object or resource,” while describing the ultimate utility of metadata as a “management and resource discovery tool,” such that the promise of metadata is to enable information to be more effectively found and used. The potential of metadata to create organization from chaos is a common theme. Dilorio and Abolafia (2005) illustrated the need for metadata by describing the potentially chaotic context of many SAS projects as having: (a) an over whelming number of files and file formats, (b) important specifications in a variety of inconvenient and/or programmatically inaccessible formats, such as Word, (c) duplication of syntax, such as syntax to establish libraries in every program, (d) changing requirements, and (e) repetitive output requirements, such as the generation of identical tables having only different variables and titles.
This paper was geared to beginning and intermediate users of SAS and generally used common procedures and data STEPS to explore the content of DICTIONARY tables. Many papers on DICTIONARY by SAS users rely heavily on PROC SQL and Macro programming to demonstrate the use DICTIONARY tables. While these techniques may be preferred and/or are essential for many uses of the metadata, this paper focused on a visual examination of the data sets and variables, by convention called tables and fields, found in the DICTIONARY library. The number one priority of this paper was to encourage exploration and familiarity with the DICTIONARY tables and their content. By the end of the paper you should have a greater understanding of the DICTIONARY tables, feel confident in exploring the tables yourself, and be aware of the papers that discussed the details of advanced techniques for using metadata.
[edit] Selected References
Cates, R. (2002). 'What's in a name: Describing SAS file types,' Proceedings of the Twenty Seventh Annual SAS® Users Group International Conference, Orlando, FL
Davis, M. (2001). 'You can look it up: An introduction to SASHELP Dictionary Views,' Proceedings of the Twenty Sixth Annual SAS® Users Group International Conference, Long Beach, CA
DiIorio, F. & Abolafia, J. (2004). 'Dictionary tables and views: Essential tools for serious applications,' Proceedings of the Twenty Ninth Annual SAS® Users Group International Conference, Montréal, Canada
Eberhardt, P. & Brill, I. (2006). 'How do I look it up if I cannot spell it: An introduction to SAS dictionary tables,' Proceedings of the Thirty First Annual SAS® Users Group International Conference, San Francisco, CA
Gerlach J. (2005). 'A better perspective on SASHELP views,' Proceedings of the 2005 Annual Pharmaceutical Industry SAS® Users Group Conference, Phoenix, AZ
Lafler, K. (2005). 'Exploring DICTIONARY tables and SASHELP views.,' Proceedings of the 2005 Annual Western Users of SAS® Software Conference, San Jose, CA
Lund, P. (2002). 'A quick and easy data dictionary macro,' Proceedings of the Twenty Seventh Annual SAS® Users Group International Conference, Orlando, FL
Mack, C. (2006). 'The wealth of information found in the SASHELP data dictionary views and how to use it,' Proceedings of the 2006 Annual Pacific Northwest SAS® Users Group Conference, Tacoma, WA
Tangedal, M. (2006). 'Using external data dictionaries to build SQL queries in Base SAS,' Proceedings of the Thirty First Annual SAS® Users Group International Conference, San Francisco, CA
Zhang J., Chen D.& Wong T.(2003). 'Metadata application on clinical trial data in drug development,' Proceedings of the Twenty Eighth Annual SAS® Users Group International Conference, Seattle, WA
