The Little SAS Book: A Primer

by Lora D. Delwiche, Susan J. Slaughter

Want to learn SAS software but you don't know where to start? This friendly easy-to-read guide gently introduces you to the most commonly used features of SAS software plus a whole lot more! Topics cover the gamut of base SAS concepts, an introduction to SAS/STAT, and getting your data into SAS (including PROC IMPORT and PROC EXPORT). You'll find a generous amount of information addressing basic SAS concepts (such as DATA and PROC steps); using the SAS windowing environment; working with permanent and temporary SAS data sets; inputting, and reading data; modifying data; introduction to the Output Delivery System (ODS), which enables you to generate HTML files for viewing with an Internet browser; introduction to macros; debugging SAS programs (including the DATA step debugger); and appendices to help programmers of other software languages become comfortable with the SAS programming language. Each topic is divided into an easy-to-use, self-contained, two-page layout complete with examples and graphics. This format enables new users to get up and running quickly, while the examples allow you to type in the program and see them work! More seasoned programmers will find this guide a useful reference to have on hand. Supports releases 7.00 and higher of SAS software.

Genres: Nonfiction, Programming, Textbooks, Economics, Science, Reference, School

358 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Alicia]

Not exactly a beach read but it's contributing to my obtaining of a PhD.

[Don]

Good as a primer. Not much else.

[Alisa]

Read chapters 1,2,3,4,7,10,11 for internship. Learned a lot but the textbook often didn't present info in the most intuitive/organized way.

[PJ T. de Barros]

This is neither a language reference nor a textbook, but something between. The explanations are far too informal for a manual. You’d think that would make it more amenable to a linear reading, but you’d be wrong. Half the examples in the book include code or conventions that don’t get introduced until later, sometimes several chapters later. Nevertheless, it is definitely useful.

[Laura Cohran]

Very helpful! I do not have a tech background at all and started a new job where my agency bought me a SAS course. The course was much too advanced, so I bought this to learn the foundations, and it was what I needed. The chapters are short and bite-sized. I have now returned to the course and am able to progress in it because I understand the background.

[Katie]

Very helpful for beginners. And a good book to keep on hand while you're using SAS. The bulk of the book focuses on reading/writing data rather than statistical procedures. But this is still the first place to go.

[Caroline]

Very helpful for absolute beginners, but not very helpful to those who want to incorporate more of the SAS macro language into their programs.

[Naveen S]

Simply excellent about each and every concept!!

[Taylor Rogers]

Great reference for anyone trying to learn SAS. Even some good tips for those like me who have been SAS programmers for 3+ years.

[Emma King]

Marking this bad boy as read to manifest SAS leaving my life after this week ✨✨

[Ellie K]

I didn't think this book was that useful. I didn't like the layout, and could never find what I was looking for. The title is accurate; it is a primer. It isn't intended as a reference source, and that is probably what I needed.

I prefer SAS Institute documentation,

such as SAS 9.4 Language Reference: Concepts

and

Getting Started with SAS Enterprise Miner 6.1.

The author, Lora D. Delwiche, has written other SAS guides that I liked more than the Primer.

[Fleur_de_soie]

I use this book to prepare for the SAS Advanced Certification exam. While this is really a great book as widely recommended, it has one drawback as a review material: it did not cover all the materials needed for the exam, but if you were using it for the SAS Base, it is perfect. Another thing, though not big, is that it is really not exam oriented even not like a text book. There is not a single questions in the book.
Besides these is really a great book, it explains how to use the software in a such vivid and interesting way. Once you read it, you cannot forget it. The authors write this book in such a passion that you feel you love SAS, too. It is reader-friendly. Each subsection is limited within two pages. No more no less. This makes it easier for you to check something particular or just take a break without waiting too long. But if they have more advanced materials in it, it would be better for me.

[Natalie]

I think I actually have the first edition of this. I bought it in 2001 when I knew my job was going to include SAS.

If you are a regular programmer learning SAS then be prepared to think entirely differently. This book did help with that. Basically, for SAS your whole program is one big old foreach loop.

Anyway, I rarely use SAS any more but I won't get rid of this book just in case. I had a different SAS book that I used sometimes but this one was by far more helpful most of the time.

[J. Boo]

Note that this is a review of an older edition; I can't speak to the latest version.

Anyway, this book was amazing. I don't think it's ideal as the only supplement to use when beginning to work with SAS, but as someone who had the basics in a college class and then only occasionally used that language, it more than met my needs. Many short chapters, each revolving around a different task to do with SAS and a short program to serve as a template. Been years since I've tackled a SAS issue and I still remember this manual fondly.

[Rebecca]

While obviously not a gripping read, this book is really well done as a general, quick reference to using SAS programming. I think if you are using it to teach yourself SAS, it probably is not going to be enough/efficient as a sole source, but especially as a supplemental material and to have on hand when working on programs it is well put together. I also appreciated the authors' attempts at making the book less dry than it easily could have been, and liberal use of examples.

[Jessica]

I read this when I was programming (I guess that is obvious). It was helpful, but the class was more helpful. When the professor and another professor came to help try to decode the original program, I understood and went back to this help for assistance after they were gone. They really taught me the basics.

[Aja]

This was used as a supplemental reading to Applied Statistics and the SAS Programming Language. Very informative, but given the choice, I would have stuck with the other book.

[Nathan]

I found this an invaluable introduction to SAS programming, and as a system administrator, I think this should be required reading for anyone using SAS, or responsible for managing a SAS environment for customers.

[Carla]

probably the best book for SAS programming neonates.

[Irwan]

It answered my question left by the previous book on this application.

[Em]

good introduction to SAS, including examples of SAS code.

[John Toncinich]

Very simple read, even those who have limited to no programming background

[Mohammad]

Wonderful World , "SAS" , I gonna live there !!!
This book is my Bible for this new statistical world !
it is really useful for new users and good reference for advanced one.

[Benjamin]

Actually using the Fourth Edition

[Zunera]

SAS!

[Vicki Fu]

Too easy, maybe because SAS itself is very easy

[Andrew Hunt]

Good to get a feel for SAS, but if you're looking more for design or anything beyond a simple proc glm code then this book will not be very helpful.

[Dave Jones]

Good introduction to the SAS programming language. I still refer to it occasionally.

[Eric]

Pretty basic but does the job as a supplement.

Used it for STATS 301.

[Tanya M Henderson]

This book is as helpful as ever. I use it almost daily to make a quick reference. Best desktop reference going!