How to Get Started with SAS: A Beginner’s Guide to SAS Programming

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If you’re new to data analytics or just starting with SAS (Statistical Analysis System), welcome! You’re entering a powerful world of data manipulation, analysis, and visualization used across industries from healthcare to finance. In this beginner’s guide, we’ll walk through how to get started with SAS and the basics you need to know to hit the ground running.

What is SAS?

SAS is a software suite developed by SAS Institute for advanced analytics, business intelligence, data management, and predictive analytics. It’s particularly popular in regulated industries like pharmaceuticals, banking, and insurance due to its robustness and auditability.

Why use SAS?

  • Reliable for large data sets
  • Excellent reporting and statistical capabilities
  • Strong industry support (especially in healthcare and finance)
  • Built-in procedures for complex statistical methods

How to Access SAS

There are several ways to start using SAS:

  1. SAS OnDemand for Academics (Free)
    • Ideal for students and educators.
    • Cloud-based, no installation needed.
    • Sign up at SAS OnDemand for Academics.
  2. SAS University Edition (Deprecated)
    • Previously offered a free local install; now replaced by cloud options.
  3. SAS Viya
    • Modern, cloud-native analytics platform with an intuitive UI.
  4. Enterprise-Level Installation
    • Typically provided by employers with licensing agreements.

The SAS Programming Basics

SAS programs are built around two main steps:

1. DATA Step

Used for reading, modifying, and creating data sets. The structure of a basic data step where data is manually input is listed below.

2. PROC Step

Used to analyze or report on the data.

Key SAS Concepts

  • Libraries: Collections of datasets. WORK is the temporary default library.
  • Data Sets: Tables stored in SAS libraries.
  • Variables: Columns in a dataset.
  • Observations: Rows in a dataset.
  • Procedures (PROC): Built-in tools for analysis (e.g., PROC MEANS, PROC FREQ, PROC SORT).

Hands-On: Your First SAS Program

Try this simple program to explore your first dataset. This will display the mean, min, max, and other statistics for the Score variable.

Tips for SAS Beginners

  • Use comments liberally: * This is a comment; or /* Block comment */
  • Run your code in sections to avoid re-running everything.
  • Explore SAS documentation—it’s thorough and beginner-friendly.
  • Don’t fear the log—it tells you what happened, what didn’t, and why.

What’s Next?

Once you’re comfortable with basic data steps and procedures, try exploring:

  • PROC SORT and PROC FREQ
  • Creating graphs with PROC SGPLOT
  • Using conditional logic with IF/THEN statements
  • SAS Macros for automation

Final Thoughts

SAS might seem intimidating at first, but with practice, it becomes a powerful ally in your data journey. Whether you’re analyzing survey data, creating dashboards, or building predictive models, SAS provides the tools to get the job done.

Stay tuned for more beginner-friendly tutorials and happy coding!