Carpenter's Complete Guide to the SAS Macro Language, 2nd Edition (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

Art Carpenter has been hard at work since his first edition was published in 1998. He has added enough new material to double the size of his original work. Many more complex ideas of macro usage are illustrated here, with diverse topics brought together and discussed as whole concepts. I would recommend this book to beginners as well as advanced programmers who wish to be proficient in their usage of the simple yet powerful SAS macro language. --Ronald Fehd, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Art did an excellent job with plenty of examples, well-documented bullets, and callouts for each step within his examples. -- Charles Patridge The Hartford Financial Service

Art has once again written a fantastic SAS book. It is very complete in its coverage of the macro language, covering everything from the basics to advanced topics. It makes an excellent reference book with its clear layout. I would highly recommend it particularly to experienced SAS programmers who want a complete macro reference which extends to cover advanced topics. I wrote the "Advanced Macro Programming" course for SAS UK, and this would make a perfect companion to that course. In short, it's a fantastic book and contains plenty of new material compared to his first. It will surely pay for itself in no time. --Philip Mason, Wood Street Consultants

Having used SAS for 25 plus years, I can honestly say I am always amazed at what I learn from reading SAS Press titles and the little things I may have overlooked or forgotten. Art did an excellent job writing this book with plenty of good examples and well-documented bullets and callouts of each step within his examples. He has also included a number of good macros that could be used by any SAS developer and incorporate them into their library of tools. This is a must-have book for the serious SAS developer who wishes to use and learn the SAS macro language. --Charles Patridge, The Hartford Financial Service

I recommend this book to programmers seeking to be proficient in their usage of the simple yet powerful macro language. -- Ronald Fehd Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The author introduces all necessary components of writing dynamic programs, with detailed complete examples to help users grasp this concept. -- Kenneth Moore Lockheed Martin

This book is complete in its coverage of the macro language, covering everything from the basics to the advanced topics. -- Philip Mason Wood Street Consultants

Product Description

Art Carpenter thoroughly updates his successful first edition with an extensive collection of new examples and techniques. Addressing the composition and operation of the SAS macro facility and the SAS macro language, this second edition is filled with ready-to-use macros, macro functions, and macro tools that will enable you to effortlessly convert SAS code to macros, define macro variables, and more! New topics include writing user interfaces with %WINDOW, using SYSPARM and SYSPBUFF, using CALL EXECUTE, deleting macro variables using %SYMDEL, using macro recursion, and creating your own macro functions. Also included are new SAS 9 features such as statements that include %ABORT and %RETURN, system options for the macro language, macro functions, autocall library macros, and code recovery options for compiled stored macro libraries. Many topics from the first edition have been expanded. Whether you're a new user with a basic understanding of Base SAS or an experienced programmer looking for an advanced reference manual, this is the macro book that you've been searching for!

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Product Details

• Paperback: 385 pages
• Publisher: SAS Publishing; 2nd edition (March 16, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590473841
• ISBN-13: 978-1590473849
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #471,196 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't write macros without it!, January 6, 2005

By	Robert A. Rutledge (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The definitive text by a recognized expert. I bought the first edition several years ago and immediately discovered how to resolve a macro problem that was stopping my progress. The book paid for itself in the first 5 minutes! Got the 2nd Edition a few weeks ago and quickly discovered ways to do two different things I didn't even know were possible. That's at least a 5X ROI so far, and I've only skimmed through a few pages so far.

Don't write code without it!

5.0 out of 5 stars A breath of fresh air for beginners!, August 29, 2008

By	M Gemmill-Toyama ""Author in the making"" - See all my reviews

I use SAS for work occasionally, and I have always struggled a little to get my head around macros. This book was great for the sometimes struggling SAS programmer like me. I liked how he started by explaining macros, pointing out extremely useful syntax tips like double quotes versus single quotes (as those who work with programs like SAS and STATA know, syntax can sometimes be the bane of our existence).

Importantly, if you struggle with macros, read the book from the beginning - he gradually builds the use of macros from there.

(Note: I posted a similar review to this on the UK amazon site).

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great for advanced programmers, August 17, 2005

By	Hala Nsouli (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Gives a fairly detailed overview of the SAS macro language. Great for users with a little bit of background. The book is not supplemented with an CD, it falls upon the reader to experiment.