Product Description
Prepare for the SAS Base Programming for SAS®9 certification exam with the official guide by the SAS® Certified Professional Program. New and experienced SAS users who want to prepare for the SAS Base Programming for SAS®9 certification exam will find this guide an invaluable, convenient and comprehensive resource that covers all of the objectives tested on the exam. Major topics include importing and exporting raw data files, creating and modifying SAS data sets, and identifying and correcting data syntax and programming logic errors.You will also become familiar with the enhancements and new functionality that are available in SAS®9.Includes a free CD-ROM with tutorials, practice data, and sample programs to further reinforce and test your SAS skills. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

it is a good book
this is a must have for the certification.. I took this exam this morning and Pass with 79%. just redo the questions at the end of the chapters and practice problem from Eplanet testing..good luck

Book was old and all the answers were marked, edges are bent
Very unhappy about the product. Book was old and all the answers were marked, edges are bent.

Apparently outdated allready
I recently took the base exam and failed. Believe me when I say I studied diligently for over three months using this book, bought before the newest version was released. I read it cover-to-cover and worked through the practice lessons. I reviewed for several hours the day before the test. I absolutely knew the material in this book, yet it was if I were taking a different test. There are questions in the exam not even touched on in this guide. Try the newest version if you must. It at least looks like it covers the excel questions not even mentioned in this one.

worse then useless
I am a begining SAS user.
More accurately, I am ATTEMPTING to become a beginning SAS user.
For me, this work was litteraly worse than useless.
I could read the firstchapter OK.
However, I got totally stumped on page 1 of the second chapter.
The writing is extremely unclear, with a great deal of technical jargon that is not explained.I could read and pronounce the sentences, but had absolutely no idea what they meant.
So I am still shopping for a comprehensible book on SAS

Prof. Peter Joseph, Ph.D.
(too dumb to understand SAS!)

Having certification got me through recession
Using this book, I obtained the Base certification on late last year.Soon after that, I was laid off by the former employer due to recession.I sent out my resume to companies to find a job and was invited by several companies for interviews.I believe having certification made my resume stood out of others, because hiring managers noticed my having SAS certification during the interview.I had two job offers.

I realize that studying for certification using this book helped increase my programming efficiency as well.This book is full of useful techniques that you could use in your daily programming practices.After the certification test, I still use this book as a reference book.I have bought many SAS-related books, but this certification prep book is very useful and comprehensive for beginner- or intermediate-level SAS users.If I had known this book earlier, I would not have had to waste money for other SAS books that I had actually bought.

I strongly recommend this book for your test preparation AND daily SAS programming practices.
... Read more

Product Description
In Statistical Programming in SAS, author A. John Bailer integrates SAS tools with interesting statistical applications and uses SAS 9.2 as a platform to introduce programming ideas for statistical analysis, data management, and data display and simulation. Written using a reader-friendly and narrative style, the book includes extensive examples and case studies to present a well-structured introduction to programming issues.

This book has two parts. The first part addresses the nuts and bolts of programming, including fostering good programming habits, getting external data sets into SAS to construct an analysis data set, generating basic descriptive statistical summaries, producing customized tables, generating more attractive output, and producing high-quality graphical displays. The second part emphasizes programming in the context of a DATA step, in macros, and in SAS/IML software.

Examples of statistical methods and concepts not always encountered in basic statistics courses (for example, bootstrapping, randomization tests, and jittering) are used to illustrate programming ideas. This book provides extensive illustrations of the new ODS Statistical Graphics procedures in SAS, a description of the new ODS Graphics Editor, and an introduction to some of the capabilities of SAS/IML Studio, such as producing dynamically linked data displays and invoking R from SAS. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great Resource
While this book provides an excellent foundation in content and good coding habits for beginning SAS users, it is also a great resource for the experienced programmer. Highly recommended!

Great book
Great book.Despite the boring cover, Bailer does a great job of bringing statistics to life in a humorous manner (as humorous as stats can be).Highly recommend. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent book.
The book contained the information for a course I took online and I wanted a hard copy. A brand new book from SAS was $100 but this used book was more reasonable for my budget. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

J.Surendhar
For preparing SAS Advanced Certification. you made a right Choice for choosing this book.
We can learn SAS from Intermediate to Advance level.

Who needs this book - This book is for all SAS users in business, government, and
academia, or for anyone who will be conducting data analysis using SAS. If you have some experience you may still find this book useful for learning techniques you missed or for reference.

This book is not a replacement for the SAS Help and Documentation, or the many SAS manuals.

But i can recommend strongly.

Welcome & Thanks Again.

Excellent Guide To Prepare For Certification
We found this to be an excellent guide to use for preparing for the certification exam. ... Read more

Product Description
A thorough and self-contained treatment for SAS® users preparing for the Base Programming Certification Exam for SAS® 9—complete with explanations, tips, and practice exam questions

SAS® 9 Study Guide is designed to help users of SAS® 9 become familiar with the fine points of the software as well as develop solid study strategies that will shorten preparation time and ensure successful exam results. The following five study topics are addressed with a focused chapter devoted to each: accessing data; creating data structures; managing data; generating reports; and handling errors. SAS® 9 Study Guide provides both a conceptual and practical approach to each of these areas with detailed explanations followed by examples.

Each chapter presents concepts, processes, and applications in a clear, step-by-step format along with detailed explanations and examples. Individual chapters also contain:

• A Two-Minute Drill that provides a checklist of key points for review

• An Assessment Exam, which challenges readers to provide short answers detailingthe chapter's coverage of SAS® 9

• A Practice Exam, which reinforces content and familiarizes readers with the structure ofthe actual Base Programming Certification Exam

Written by a practicing SAS® Certified Professional, this book is an intensive, but accessible, review for preparing for the Base Programming Certification Exam for SAS® 9 and can also serve as a practical reference tool for established certified professionals who would like to further their knowledge of SAS® 9. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Book has many errors
The book contains a lot of good information but there are tons of typos. At the end of each chapter are practice exams accompanied by lists of the "correct" answers. There are numerous instances where the wrong answer is listed as the correct one. Also, there is poor use of English grammar throughout the book sometimes making it difficult to read and follow. The author should have had someone with a command of the English language edit the book.

Do Not Waste Your Time
If you are studying for the SAS Exam, do not waste your time with this book.I found it very useless.I purchased this one and the one by SAS Publishing.The one by SAS Publishing is the only one you need.This book is confusing and a waste of time and money.

This is not the ticket
I found this book to be almost totally worthless and a waste of time.Instead, do yourself a favor and get the real book from SAS Publishing.

Alex
I gave this book 4 stars only because it contains lots of grammatical typos. It can complicate the studying process for those who don't know basic SAS well enough. For example, it is unacceptable to print like '31dec99' d (page108) or _nul _l (page 61) or _null _ (page 62). In my opinion, it is very confusing for the beginners. Otherwise the book contains lots of various good examples and exercises with answers. What I liked especially is the way the author explained data sets merging. It is very simple to understand. So this book may be a helpful addition to SAS Certification Prep Guide : Base Programming for SAS 9. ... Read more

Product Description
SAS/IML software is a powerful tool for data analysts because it enables implementation of statistical algorithms that are not available in any SAS procedure. Rick Wicklin's Statistical Programming with SAS/IML Software is the first book to provide a comprehensive description of the software and how to use it. He presents tips and techniques that enable you to use the IML procedure and the SAS/IML Studio application efficiently. In addition to providing a comprehensive introduction to the software, the book also shows how to create and modify statistical graphs, call SAS procedures and R functions from a SAS/IML program, and implement such modern statistical techniques as simulations and bootstrap methods in the SAS/IML language. Written for data analysts working in all industries, graduate students, and consultants, Statistical Programming with SAS/IML Software includes numerous code snippets and more than 100 graphs. ... Read more

Product Description
Aimed at researchers and students , SAS Programming: The One-DayCourse provides an introduction to the SAS programming language. Itgives the reader a start in SAS programming and the basic datamanipulations and statistical summaries that are available throughSAS. The book has its origins in material prepared by the author for aone-day course in SAS programming, and the fact that it has beendeveloped from a training course is reflected in the concise nature ofthe presentation. Unlike other introductory competitors on the market,this is a pocket-sized reference that does not clutter the programmingtechniques presented by trying to teach statistical techniques at thesame time. Strong on explanations of how to carry out datamanipulations that real-life data often call for, each programmingtechnique is supported by tasks to develop skills and confidence. Italso contains "tasks" for the reader, complete withsolutions. Datasets and the programming code are available todownload.Once readers have mastered the topics covered in the book,they will be well placed to learn further aspects of SAS programming. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Not a One-Day-Course
I used SAS/BASE a couple of years ago, and stop, then I started a job where I need to start programming in SAS. I really thought that this would have been a one-day-course, but it does not allow you to learn very much in one-day.

This is defintely not for a beginner.

ok book
It is mildly helpful. Does not have any in depth programming codes.Can be used as a reference.

Right idea, wrong size
After a brief browse through this very-small-format book, I decided to return it and provide this review to warn other SAS users.If you want a pocket-size, reference-lite and are comfortable reading micro-sized text, then this book may be for you.The topics are presented in a rational sequence, but the actual size of the volume effectively makes it unusable. ... Read more

Product Description
Whether you want to analyze risk and return of stocks individually or in portfolios, this book gives you lots of examples to copy and use "as is" or you can easily adapt them to your specific needs. The SAS example code is thoroughly explained - for each procedure, for each statement, and for each option. Even if you're a novice, you can quickly learn the fundamentals of SAS software, and easily gain programming experience. You will be able to select assets to build your portfolio, value stocks, bonds, and options, evaluate portfolio performance, analyze fundamental data, and perform risk analysis. ... Read more

Product Description
Prepare for the SAS Base Programming Exam with the only guide authorized by the SAS Certified Professional Program. Increase your credibility as a technical professional, expand your knowledge of SAS software, and increase your career options and marketability by becoming a globally recognized SAS Certified Professional. Designed for new and experienced SAS users who want to prepare for the SAS Base Programming certification exam, this comprehensive guide covers all of the objectives tested on the exam and more. Major topics include basic concepts, producing reports, creating and modifying SAS data sets, and reading various types of raw data. Each chapter includes a quiz on the chapter's contents. Answer keys are included. Includes a free CD-ROM with tutorials, practice data, and sample programs to test your SAS skills!

This book prepares you for the current SAS Base Programming Exam, which is available through December 31, 2006. Certification credentials are valid for three years. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

bad
I got broken CD-ROM with this book and even book was not properly packed so when I received the book its all broken cover...

Worse than ever
Wrong discription in title, he never send me a CD although item invoice says with CD............Wrost purchase ever

Passed Exam After Using Book
Good book and good examples. Would like an overall quiz for the end. That is the only think holding me back from 5 stars.

Useful
It is useful in preparing me for the SAS Certification Exam.It goes over the things, one by one, that we need to know.

good book
helps you get started on SAS even if you have absolutely no background. Might need to read others books to clear the base SAS exam though. I would recommend this book to any starter.

... Read more

Product Description
Quick solutions, techniques, and strategies for getting the most out of the SAS System make this the perfect resource for busy SAS users and programmers. Now updated for versions 6.08-6.10, this best-selling toolkit provides all of the book's routines on a handy, ready-to-use disk. Rick Aster and Rhena Seidman share clever, little-known programming tips and secrets they've perfected during years of SAS programming and consulting. The right and wrong ways to do things, ways to facilitate complicated tasks, and the tricks of SAS pros can all be found in this book, with a programmers's perspective no other book provides. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Needs to be updated
This was an excellent book at the time it was written, but needs to be updated for the more recent versions of SAS and for changes of terminology usage prompted by relational data bases.

Essential for the programmer analyst crowd.
I have a masters degree in taxation. My company logically put me to work doing data analysis and project development. I use SAS, VB, ACCESS, EXCEL, whatever gets the job done. I do not speak, nor do I want to speak, COBOL.SAS is my only avenue to Main Frame data. What is available from SAS andfrom third parties is disgusting. This book is like the many comprehensiveWindows books. I had never used SAS variable arrays before and this booktaught me all I need to know. Probably not for the super SAS geek, but forthose many of us needing to do our own data access and analysis using SAS,definitely the most complete single volume on the market. Well worth themoney.

Excellent
Not perfect, but excellent.After looking at the reviews on Amazon, I decided to postpone buying this book. My mistake. The is the best book on the SAS language within one set of covers. It should not be your firstintroduction to SAS, but after you have your feet wet and decide to jump inall the way, it is a must have.

In any situation you find yourselfprogramming in SAS, you will not use all SAS has to offer. Certainly if youplan to take the certificataion test you will need to know more and this isone of the aids you need. Rick, or Mr. Aster to me, uses English, realEnglish, the way people think and talk, to descibe SAS computereze.

Yes, it's heavily technical, but most people once they start thinking inthe technical language cannot weave in and out of regular English.Rickcan.

Disappointing but not that bad
I agree with the previous reviewer on that this book is somewhat disappointing for professional SAS programmers - not very many "secrets" has been revealed actually. It didn't even explainclearly the key SAS programming concept of "Program Data Vector"while it claims to demonstrate how SAS engine works behind the scene. Thenew version is no much different from the old one but appending a SAS6.10update list (like "what's new"). I suspect either the authors orthe publisher or both didn't put much work on this new version - that'svery un-professional! However, considering the sad fact that there'ssomehow few good SAS programming book out there, this classic one deservessome respect in SAS community. I read it 2 years ago and I found sometimesI still look it up as a reference on some topics - for the material itcovers, it's rather solid.

this book is a turkey
In stark contrast to the title, this book is NOT for professionals, at least not professional programmers, and certainly not for anyone who wishes to become a professional SAS programmer.Any secrets in this book are destined to remain secrets of the authors after the reader has read them.Consider, for example, the half page on transporting files between computers.The only "secret" revealed is that it can be done, but not a word is said as to how.Finally, the 6.08-6.10 "update" is a very brief, uninformative appendix.The book is really about Release 6.06 and before, i.e. it is seriously out of date, despite its recent publication date.This book might possibly be slightly useful to managers who need to write technobabble about why they are advocating the use of SAS as a data management environment.It will be of negligeable value to anyone who will actually be called upon to accomplish serious work using the SAS language. ... Read more

Product Description
Programmers who want to move from SPSS to SAS now have a great resource to help them make that transition. Written by the authors of The Little SAS Book: A Primer, Coming to SAS from SPSS: A Programming Approach focuses on topics of special interest to SPSS programmers. The authors discuss differences in terminology, show how to move SPSS data files into SAS, and then give examples illustrating reports and analyses of likely interest to SPSS users. After reading Coming to SAS from SPSS, users will wish they had made the change sooner! ... Read more

Product Description
Get the most from your SAS software! In this expert collection of strategic and tactical solutions, author Philip Holland shows you how to save time and money by making the most of your SAS software. You'll gain a deeper knowledge of your existing SAS components, improve your coding efficiency, and learn how to develop applications that are easier to maintain. Filled with invaluable tips and hints and with coding examples that can be adapted to your specific projects, this book is the ultimate reference source that you will reach for again and again as you develop your business processes. You'll learn how to perform many tasks, including the following: access SAS data by using the SAS ODBC Driver, DDE, and SAS Integration Technologies make productive use of available space in mainframe, Windows, and UNIX environments produce portable graphic report formats by using SAS/GRAPH® import data from and export data to external databases and spreadsheets without using SAS/ACCESS read specific data types from flat files into SAS data sets develop SAS applications by using SAS Enterprise Guide Whether you're a beginner or an advanced SAS programmer, this guide will increase your understanding of SAS and help you get the full value from your SAS software! ... Read more

Product Description
Working with longitudinal data introduces a unique set ofchallenges.Once you've mastered the art of performing calculationswithin a single observation of a data set, you're faced with the taskof performing calculations or making comparisons betweenobservations. It is simple to look backward in data sets, but how doyou look forward and across observations? Ron Cody providesstraightforward answers to these and other questions. This bookdetails useful techniques for conducting operations betweenobservations in a SAS data set. For quick reference, the book isconveniently organized to cover: tools--an introduction to powerfulSAS programming techniques for longitudinal data; case studies--avariety of illuminating examples that use Ron's techniques; andmacros--detailed descriptions of helpful longitudinal data macros.Beginning to intermediate SAS users will appreciate this book'sinformative, easy-to-comprehend style. And those users who frequentlyprocess longitudinal data will learn to make the most of theiranalyses by following Ron's methodologies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

thumbs up from me
I have to give a very positive review to this book.Cody writes very nice introductory applied statistics books that emphasize SAS applications.This has good illustrations of a very important type of data analysis that biostatisticians doing clinical research need to know. Also, because in the analysis of clinical trials the FDA prefers analysis to be done using SAS, applications in SAS are important to have.If some or even most of this material is covered in another text as one reviewer suggests that does not mean that the biostatistician might not prefer to select this text which concentrates solely on longitudinal data.Also in the pharmaceutical industry where many clinical trials are conducted on longitudinal data, SAS programmers who are not statisticians are employed and books like this one can be of great use to them in their careers. The correct use of PROC Mixed in the analysis of longitudinal data is tricky and mistakes are easy to make.

Disappointed
This book is clearly written, but it's mostly a subsection of another book by the same author, Applied Statistics and the SAS Programming Language. There are a couple of case studies that are not included in the other book, but I don't know if that will be worth the price.

Overall, the coverage is superficial. Managing longitudinal data involves heavy time series cross sectional analysis, but the author almost ignored time series data management completely. SAS is pretty weak in time series analysis and this book did not help much either.

Worth every penny!
This book has helped me so much at work. I like the clear explanation of what each line in the programs. Good examples of each topic. ... Read more

Product Description
Jump-start your report-writing skills! Report writing has never been easier. Learn how you can easily avoid common report-writing pitfalls with SAS Guide to Report Writing: Examples, Second Edition. Updated for SAS®9, this task-oriented book guides you through the steps that you need to produce professional reports. Using a wealth of easy-to-follow examples, this time-saving book demonstrates the many different styles of reports that are available and the SAS tools used to generate them. The examples enable more experienced programmers to quickly grasp new techniques, while margin notes and additional discussions provide novice users with the details that they need for effective learning. You can save programming hours by using the SAS programs as they are or as models for developing your own reports. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, this must-have guide will strengthen your report-writing expertise and give you the tools that you need to enhance the power of your reports! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

SAS Guide to Report Writing
This book provides a good introduction to writing SAS reports. Its treatment of the flexibility of Proc Report in designing customized reports is particularly helpful. ... Read more

Product Description
With the SAS programming language, you can access data inany kind of file and process it in any way you can imagine.Itprovides the data processing power behind everything from datawarehouses to scientific studies -- and it is so easy to use thatanyone who can use a computer can become a programmer.InProfessional SAS Programming Logic, leading expert Rick Asterdescribes the unique qualities of the SAS language and takes youbeyond the tried and true to show the unlimited possibilities of SASprogramming. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not bad, but definitely not good either
The book is useful if you are not new to SAS, however there are definitely better written books available.Comparing a code (given as example) and its output are often hard to follow as the text says nothing about the data file structure.The spelling errors (admittedly few) are very annoying.One doesn't expect them in professionally written text.

Useful, but not for novices
This book is up-to-date, nicely organized, and full of useful information.It is intended to be of value to readers who have some general programming experience and is, by extension, ideal for those who already have some knowledge of SAS programming.My only complaint, and it is not an insignificant one, is that the writing is often unclear.I find too many passages that I understand only because I know quite a bit about SAS already.I fear that other readers with less experience will end up puzzled or misinformed.This is a good SAS book, but it is not a good "first" SAS book. ... Read more

Product Description
This title contains the complete reference for all Base SAS procedures including examples of how to use procedures to analyze, manage, and present your data. Both experienced and inexperienced SAS users will find this handy reference invaluable. This title is also available free online from SAS Publishing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great SAS books...but is a collection of 4 books, not 1
While this is a great SAS book, it is not a "book"...it is a collection of 4 books...with an 's'.This isn't a huge problem for me, but it would have been nice to have it in 1 larger hardcover book.Amazon's description doesn't say anything about it being 4 books.5 stars for the books, because they contain anything and everything you need to know about SAS...but 1 star off for the bulkiness of 4 books rather than 1.:( ... Read more

Product Description
This title covers the major features of how to use the mathematical programming procedures in SAS/OR software. With these procedures, you can solve linear and mixed integer programs, network flow programs, quadratic programs, and nonlinear programs. This guide serves as the primary documentation for all the mathematical programming (optimization), such as the LP, NETFLOW, NLP, TRANS, and ASSIGN procedures. New for SAS 9.1 is PROC QP, which solves quadratic programs that may have an embedded network. This title is also available online. This title serves as a reference guide for both novice and expert users of the optimization procedures in SAS/OR software.

Supports releases 9.1 and higher of SAS software. ... Read more

Product Description
This title serves as the primary documentation for the constraint programming capabilities in SAS/OR software. Experimental in 9.1, the CLP procedure is a finite domain constraint programming solver for solving constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs). The CLP procedure provides you with an expressive syntax with a choice of interfaces for accurate and flexible modeling, linear, logical, global, and scheduling constraints with powerful consistency routines, strategies for selection and assignment of variables and activities, and controls for guiding the search mechanism. This title serves as a reference guide for users of the constraint programming capabilities in SAS/OR software. ... Read more