Download Standards and Macros: The Keystroke Busters!

Standards and Macros: The Keystroke-Bustersl
Judy A.D. Alicante, Pacific Gas and Electric Company
I. SAS Data Base Naming Conventions:
ABSTRACT
As SAS® programmers, how many times do you have to key
Our group's SAS database naming convention is as follows:
in:
PROC CONTENTS DATA=DDNAMEo_ALL_ NODS; RUN;
How about:
T50 ALLOC F(DDNAME) DA('MYID.MYFILE.DATA');
Has keying in the same code over and over again in one
interactive session ever irr~ated you? Well, you are not
alone.
RATE76.SAS.qqqqqqqq.tttttt
where
RATE
76
SAS
qqqqqqqq
tttttt
=====> Rates Department file
s====> output bin number
==:~=> identifies it as a SAS database
=====> database qualifier
=_s:=> database type
(1) for personal databases:
RATE76.SAS.AA16.DATA
At one point or another, all programmers are irritated by such
repit~ion. These Irustrations often happen during interactive
sessions when the programmer is debugging his code or
when he is doing some analysis on existing data. Many 01
theselrustrations can be eliminated by minimal planning and
coding.
where
DATA ======> database type
AA76 ======> database ~lifier
(2) for system databases:
By establishing standards and naming conventions-and
adhering to thelll-i>rogrammers can develop generic macros that minimize the amount 01 typing. These macros can be
shared by all programmers in a group that lollows the same
standards and conventions.
RATE76.SAS.GASBILL.LIBREF
where
LIBREF
GASBILL
This paper shows how standards, conventions, and macros
can save keystrokes.
======>
======>
database type
database qualifier
(3) for project or data request data bases:
RATE76.SAS.ACAP.DATA =3> project database
RATE76.SAS.DR246.DATA ==> data request database
INTRODUCTION
The personal database is the database we use to store
datasets that we need only for a short period of time-from
two days to a week or even a month. Usually, other programmers are not interested in the datasets that we keep in our
personal database.
I think all 01 us would agree that standards are helplul. For
example, most 01 the appliances we use every day conform
to certain standards of salety and convenience. Think 01 the
many appliances We use at home. ff each appliance had a
dillerent size and shape 01 plug, you would have to install
many kinds of electrical outlets in your hom&-<lne lor each
appliance.
For personal databases, our TSO USERID is our database
In this case, the owner of this database's USERID
is AA76. The last node 01 the personal database name is
DATA, which is what we call the database type.
qual~ier.
Now, here's an example that is close and dear to my heartthe VCR revolution. Right now we have three VCR lormats:
Beta, VHS, and 8-mm. My sister has a Beta recorder, my
brother has a VHS, and I have an 8-mm. My husband and I
bought an 8-mm deck because the rumor is that "8-mm is the
video lormat of the future.· I hope ~ is because I'd like to
exchange video tapes with my lamily.
System databases hold our main data files. The database
qual~ier tells us what type 01 data the database holds. The
last node in the database name is LlBREF, which tells us that
this is a system database. In the example above, the database qual~ier GASBILL tells us that the database holds gas
billing data.
These two examples should convince you that standards are
important. Having standards makes I~e a little easier. And
that is also true in the data processing world.
The project or data request database holds the datasets that
are used to answer spec~ic data requests. In the example
above, the database was used or is being used to answer
data request number 246. UsuaUy the files stored here were
extracted Irom system !nes like GASBILl, and then manipulated to answer the specific request. Sometimes, instead of
a data request number, the name olthe actual project or filing
is used as the database qual~ier (ACAP in the example
above).
Right now, I want to talk about the standards that you and I
can implement ourselves-<mes that we can control directly.
I am talking about the standards and conventions that you
and your colleagues at work can develop and adhere to.
These are standards that can save you a lot of keystrokes.
NAMING CONVENTIONS & GENERIC MACROS
In the department where I wor1<, the programmers in our
group have developed standards and naming conventions
on a number 01 things. I'll show you some 01 those standards
and how they are helping us.
It Ddname or Filename Naming Conventions:
We also have a filename convention. This convention is
simple, but a very powerful keystroke-buster.
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When we allocate a database, we almost always use DBN as
the filename or ddname. When we have to allocate more
than one database, then we are free to choose any name we
want.
'let l='quote(alloc da'("RATE76.SAS.&q;
'let l~'l •• DATA"') SHR REUSE F'(&d'»;
\tso '1;
'mend SHARE;
See how the ddname delauns to DBN when only one
parameter is used with this macro. When two parameters are
supplied, the macro reeds the lirst parameter as the ddname
and the second parameter as the database qualifiar.
With these simple naming conventions, programmers in our
group developed generic macros that minimize the amount
of typing we do. Macros can be used by all programmers in
a group following the same standards and conventions.
Remember, the key is that everyone has to follow the same
standards and conventions.
Ahhough this presentation is not about documentation, I
want to mention what our group calls the owner b1ock-that
comment box just before the actual macro SHARE definition.
All codes in our group must have an owner block or else the
writer will be tortured beyond his or her wildest dreams.
Because 01 that threat, it is now a habit by all programers in
our group to have an owner block.
THE KEYSTROKE-BUSTERS IN ACTION
Here is a specKic example of how the keystroke-busters
work. Assuming you are doing some interactive work in SAS
using the mainframe MVSfTSO system.
LONG WAY:
Let's take note of the macro name SHARE. See how a good
descriptive macro name was used for allocating a shared
database (i.e., you are letting other people share the database with you). With that, you might have guessed that we
have a macro that allows us to allocate databases exclusively. And, of course, we named the macro appropriately.
TSO ALLoe F(DBN) DA('RATE76.SAS.AA16.0ATA") SHR:
==> 48 keystrokes
Now, using a macro that our group developed utilizing the
naming convention that we have:
SHORT WAY:
SHARE AA76;
==>
HOG MYFILE;
11 keystrokes
In our environment, these two commands are identical. They
both allocate shared the same database using the same
filename. So, which one would you rather use -the one that
will take you 48 keystrokes or the one with only 11 keystrokes?
Here's a few more macros that we often use:
1. To list all the data sets in a data base:
LONG WAY:
PRoe CONTENTS DATA
'" '" '" '" * '" '" '" * * '" '" '" * '" '" * '" '" '" '" * *:
* Macro name: SHARE
*;
*;
*
*;
'" Description:
* If only one argument is
'"
,.,
,.,
'"
*;
this
macro attaches the ddname of dbn shared
(or read only) to the standard RATE76
data base specified as the first and
only argument.
'CAT;
*;
*;
*;
*;
*;
'" specified as the second argument with
* the ddname specified as the first
* argument.
*:
NODS; RUN:
~""> - 44 keystrokes
*;
MACRO WAY:
*:
'CAT(DB=DTFILE);
*;
*
*
* * * * *
* *
TSO SPF 2;
1<
* •
* • *
*
* * • * •
10 keystrokes
MACRO WAY:
*:
*;
* Date:
Revised by:
* Revision Description:
16 keystrokes
LONG WAY:
'*;
'* Revision:
*
-==>
3. For lazy people (like me) who go back and forth between
SASand SPF:
Example:
*;
*
share dbnl enduse:
*:
* This example attaches the ENDUSE data base*;
* with read-only status using dbnl as
*;
* filename.
'*:
*
5 keystrokes
LONG WAY:
PRoe CONTENTS DATA = DTFILE. ALL
*;
*
'*
==>
2. To list all the data sets in a data base when DBN is not the
filename:
*;
If two arguments are supplied, the macro
'" attaches thestandard RATE76 data base
NODS; RUN;
~=> 38 keystrokes
MACRO WAY:
*;
*
*
ALL
= DBN.
-
*:
supplied~
11 keystrokes
The word HOG reminds you that you are hogging the
database and that no one else but you can use it.
This statement style SHARE macro looks like this:
'" Location: RATE76.AUTOMACS(SHARE)
* Author: PETER KRETZMAN Date: 9/19/85
==>
SPF 2;
*,
*;
==>
6 keystrokes
*;
4. To route procedure output to a local printer:
*;
LONG WAY:
* * '* *:
TSO FREE F(FT18F001);
TSO ALLOC F(FT18F001) SYSOUT(B) DEST(GPU02);
'macro SHARE(d1q)/stmt;
'if &q=
'then
'do;
'let q=&d;
'let d:DSN;
'end;
OPTIONS PAGESIZE=6Q LINESIZE=132;
PRoe PRINTTO UNIT=18;
RUN;
MACRO WAY:
OUTS;
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5. To direclthe procedure output back to the terminal:
LONG WAY:
OPTIONS PAGESIZE=23 LINESIZE=72;
PROC PRINTTO;
RUN;
MACRO WAY:
OUTTERM;
Standards and conventions save more than keystrokes:
they also save spoken words and improve communications
among data processing people. When we are talking about
databases in our group, we never talk about
RATE76.SAS.GASBILl.LlBREF. Wesimplysay"GASBILL"
and everyone knows exactly what we are talking about. We
no longer need to spell out the name of the file.
CONCLUSION
Our group has many macros that we use all the time, too
numerous to present in one paper. I have shown you the
ones that are very common and straightforward. Hopefully,
I have convinced you that by establishing standards and
naming conventions-and adheringtothem-prograrnmers
can develop generic macros that minimize the amount of
typing. These macros can be shared by all programmers in
a group following the same standards and conventions.
W~h standards in place, your group can develop Mown
keystroke-buster macros.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to Gloria Re~erman, Louise Weiler, Mary Austin,
Peter Kretzman and Danine Cozzens for their invaluable
contributions. Special thanks also to all Rates DepartmentRate Data Services personnel for their help and cooperation
in developing this presentation.
Note: SAS® is a registered trademark of SAS Institute Inc.,
Cary, NC, USA.
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