Version 9 has been installed in the ITS-supported User Rooms, on the Basic Microcomputer Resource (BMR) and on the UNIX hosts in the Research Computing Facility (RCF) and Student Computing Facility. It is also currently available from the ITS User Services Office to individual and Lab/LAN users. For details, please visit:
http://www.usc.edu/its/doc/statistics/help/pcsoftware/Version 6.12 of SAS for Windows is no longer supported.
The new version brings a number of innovations, while still keeping the traditional functionality of the SAS® System. Version 9 is the third of three releases -- Version 7, 8 and 9 -- which collectively are being referred to as "The Nashville Release" (since they were announced at SUGI in Nashville in 1998).
The links below will take you to more detailed information about SAS Versions 7, 8 and 9, and more links may be added as time goes on.
If you are interested specifically in how to run SAS Version 9 under UNIX in "batch" mode (since ASCII windows are no longer supported as of Version 7), visit the link (shown below) "Issues and Problems Moving to Version 7 and beyond (ITS List)".
You may also want to perform your own search at
www.sas.com/search/ using
the keywords "Version 9" or similar text.
The good news -- and some reasons why you should become familiar with Version 7, 8 and 9 features, even if you don't use it for all of your work -- is that a number of enhancements have been included, some of which users have waited years to see. SAS programs now support 32-byte variable and SAS data set names, where before these names were limited to 8 characters. Variable names also are case-sensitive, offering more flexibility.
Perhaps the most obvious advancements beginning in Version 7 are the features dealing with SAS Output -- the results of statistical analyses. In interactive SAS a new window called the Results Window has been added to the basic three, now providing the user the ability to find, highlight, select and delete portions of output. The Output Delivery System (ODS) adds further enhancements in its ability to generate the output in traditional ASCII format, or in HTML.
SAS® for the Macintosh will be distributed under the same terms and conditions as noted above, except that patrons should note that SAS Institute has announced that development of SAS® for the Macintosh will be discontinued as of Release 6.12 (the current release). Patrons who would like to see SAS® for the Macintosh continue into Version 7 and beyond may send mail to Dennis Massengill of SAS Institute at <dennis.massengill@sas.com>.
For further information on using SAS at ITS, please visit:
http://www.usc.edu/its/doc/statistics/sas/or contact the ITS consultants in LVL Lower Commons or by calling 213.740.5555, or via eMail to <consult@usc.edu>