C-C1-04: How to Win Friends and Influence People with the SAS Output Delivery System

Abstract

Background and Aims: Long-time SAS users remember the days when SAS output was embarrassingly ugly. Version 7 saw the introduction of the Output Delivery System (ODS). ODS has matured into a very capable subsystem that gives users powerful reporting options. This presentation will highlight useful features and outline a macro-based system for handling multiple ODS destinations simultaneously. Nowadays there is no excuse for ugly SAS output! When building reports, SAS users should think about the needs of those using the reports. Some people just want to review frequency tables, and are happy to do so on a monitor. Others want to be able to print data for review in a meeting. And, there are always those that want to work with the data in a spreadsheet. Consider the ideal formats for each of the users outlined above. For the casual data browser, HTML output is ideal. For printing, PDF is preferred. And for the additional analysis, Excel is a popular option. With ODS, we can meet all of these needs. Methods: Because ODS permits opening multiple output destinations simultaneously, a single procedure can be used to generate data in HTML, PDF, and Excel at once. The presentation will demonstrate the following: o- basic ODS syntax for HTML, PDF, and Excel output o- custom HTML table of contents o- using the ExcelXP tagset for multi-tab spreadsheets o- a custom macro for managing multiple ODS destinations simultaneously o- simple PROC Template code for easy customization o- techniques for consistent output from multiple platforms. Results: The techniques outlined here have been well-received in a variety of business reporting environments. Conclusions: The SAS ODS provides a wide array of reporting options. Don’t limit yourself to just one type of output.