Advanced Programming Sas94

Exam Content Guide
SAS 9.4 Advanced Programming – Performance Based Exam
Accessing Data Using SQL

Generate detail reports by working with a single table, joining tables, or using set
operators in SQL
• Use PROC SQL to perform SQL queries.

• Select columns in a table with a SELECT statement and FROM clause.
• Create a table from a query result set.
• Create new calculated columns.
• Assign an alias with the AS keyword.
• Use case logic to select values for a column.
• Retrieve rows that satisfy a condition with a WHERE clause.
• Subset data by calculated columns with the CALCULATED keyword.
• Join tables - inner joins, full joins (coalesce function), right joins, left joins, cross joins.
• Combine tables using set operators - union, outer join, except, intersect.
• Sort data with an ORDER BY clause.
• Assign labels and formats to columns.
Generate summary reports by working with a single table, joining tables, or using set
operators in the SQL.
• Summarize data across and down columns using summary functions (AVG, COUNT,
MAX, MIN, SUM).
• Group data using GROUP BY clause.
• Filter grouped data using HAVING clause.
• Eliminate duplicate values with the DISTINCT keyword.
Construct sub-queries and in-line views within an SQL procedure step.
• Subset data by using non-correlated subqueries.

• Reference an in-line view with other views or tables (multiple tables).
Use special features of the SQL procedure.
• Use SAS data set options with PROC SQL (KEEP=, DROP=, RENAME=, OBS=).
• Use PROC SQL invocation options (INOBS=, OUTOBS=. NOPRINT, NUMBER)
• Use PROC SQL with the SAS Macro Facility to create macro variables with the INTO
keyword.
• Use SAS functions (SCAN, SUBSTR, LENGTH).
• Access SAS system information by using DICTIONARY tables (members, tables,
columns)
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Exam Content Guide
Macro Processing
Create and use user-defined and automatic macro variables within the SAS Macro
Language.
• Define and use macro variables.

• Use macro variable name delimiter. (.)
• Use INTO clause of the SELECT statement in SQL.
• Use the SYMPUTX routine in a DATA Step.
• Control variable scope with:
o %GLOBAL statement
o %LOCAL statement
o SYMPUTX scope parameter
Automate programs by defining and calling macros using the SAS Macro Language.
• Define a macro using the %MACRO and %MEND statements.

• Insert comments into macros.
• Pass Information into a macro using parameters.
• Generate SAS Code conditionally by using the %IF-%THEN-%ELSE macro statements or
iterative %DO statements.
Use macro functions.
• Use macro character functions. (%SCAN, %SUBSTR, %INDEX, %UPCASE)

• Use macro quoting functions. (%NRSTR, %STR)
• Use macro evaluation functions. (%EVAL)
• Use %SYSFUNC to execute DATA step functions within the SAS Macro Language.
Debug macros.
• Trace the flow of execution with the MLOGIC option.

• Examine the generated SAS statements with the MPRINT option.
• Examine macro variable resolution with the SYMBOLGEN option.
• Use the %PUT statement to print information to the log.
Create data-driven programs using SAS Macro Language.
• Create a series of macro variables.

• Create a macro variable containing a delimited list of values using PROC SQL.
• Use indirect reference to macro variables. (&&, etc)
• Generate repetitive macro calls using:
o the %DO loop,
o SQL query with SELECT INTO
o DATA Step with DOSUBL or the EXECUTE routine function.
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Exam Content Guide
Advanced Techniques
Process data using 1 and 2 dimensional arrays.
• Define and use character arrays.

• Define and use numeric arrays.
• Create variables with arrays.
• Reference arrays within a DO loop.
• Specify the array dimension with the DIM function.
• Define arrays as temporary arrays.
• Load initial values for an array from a SAS data set.
Process data using hash objects
• Declare hash and hash iterator objects

o Dataset argument
o Ordered argument
o Multidata argument
• Use hash object methods
o definekey()
o definedata()
o definedone()
o find()
o add()
o output()
• Use hash iterator object methods
o first()
o next()
o last()
o prev()
• Use hash objects as lookup tables.
• Use hash objects to create sorted data sets.
• Use hash iterator objects to access data in forward or reverse key order.
Use SAS utility procedures

• Specify a template using the PICTURE statement within the FORMAT Procedure
o Specify templates for date, time, and datetime values using directives.
o Specify templates for numeric values using digit selectors.
• Create custom functions with the FCMP procedure
o Create character and numeric custom functions with single or multiple
arguments.
o Create custom functions based on conditional processing.
o Use custom functions with the global option CMPLIB=.
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Exam Content Guide
Note: All 12 main objectives will be tested on every exam. The 62 expanded objectives are
provided for additional explanation and define the entire domain that could be tested.

Advanced Programming Sas94

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Advanced Programming Sas94

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Exam Content Guide

SAS 9.4 Advanced Programming – Performance Based Exam

Accessing Data Using SQL

• Use PROC SQL to perform SQL queries.

Construct sub-queries and in-line views within an SQL procedure step.

• Subset data by using non-correlated subqueries.

Use special features of the SQL procedure.

• Define and use macro variables.

• Define a macro using the %MACRO and %MEND statements.

Use macro functions.

• Use macro character functions. (%SCAN, %SUBSTR, %INDEX, %UPCASE)

• Trace the flow of execution with the MLOGIC option.

Create data-driven programs using SAS Macro Language.

• Create a series of macro variables.

• Define and use character arrays.

Process data using hash objects

• Declare hash and hash iterator objects

Use SAS utility procedures

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