Introduction to SAS/Graph 9.2

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Introduction to SAS/Graph 9.2

• Ken Barz
• Ken.barz_at_cpcmed.org
• Colorado Prevention Center
• 22Oct2009

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In the Beginning, there was

• Base SAS Proc plot
• listing output only
• Think stick figures on a line printer
• SAS/Graph 6-9.1.3 proc gplot
• ODS output as of SAS 8
• Color graphics, sometimes crude, extra
• Complex ? steep learning curve

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The Typical SAS Programmer

• Knowledge of data and proc steps
• Able to use libname, filename, title and footnote
  statements
• Statistical and reporting procedures
• Maybe some ODS and macro language

4
Learning SAS/Graph 6 9.1.3

• Open code vs. run groups
• Catalogs, grseg files, SAS registry, and hardware
  devices.
• Options, goptions, greplay, symbols, axes,
  legends, line types, interpolation parameters,
  fonts, ODS, annotate, and

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The SAS/Graph 9.2 Approach (Do-Overs!)

• Template-based graphics as opposed to
  device-based graphics. (e.g. proc template)
• Default output is to an industry standard (e.g.
  ODS listing destinationPNG file.)
• Full integration with ODS
• Output catalogs, grsegs, devices, goptions,
  annotate, global statements all go away

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The SAS/Graph 9.2 Approach (cont Main Elements)

• Proc Template
• Statistical Graphics (SG) Procedures
• ODS Graphics Statement
• ODS Graphics Editor/Designer
• Graph Template Language (GTL)

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Learning Proc Template via ODS

• Learn the majority of ODS
• Use ODS Trace to determine SAS output objects
• Learn the capabilities and syntax of proc
  template
• Figure out how to combine it all

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(Proc) Template-Based Graphics (SAS 9.2 )

• Output is produced from a compiled ODS template
  of type STATGRAPH (other types include TABLE,
  COLUMN, FOOTER, HEADER, CROSSTABS, CELLVALUE,
  STYLE, TAGSET)
• Statistical Graphics procedures use templates
  (sgplot, sgpanel, ) provided by SAS
• Custom templates may be created with Proc
  Template, the Graphics Template Language (GTL)
  and Proc sgrender.

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Minimum Template Code(defaults to
sasuser.templat catalog)

• proc template
• define statgraph mytemplate
• begingraph
• layout overlay
• endlayout
• endgraph
• end
• run

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Benefits of Template-Based 9.2 Graphics

• Graphics are clean, easy to code and produce
• Sizing determined by aspect ratio, not hardware
  device
• Tight integration with ODS, Styles and
  RTF/Unicode syntax
• Attributes cycle automatically
• Complex output is easily achieved

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Statistical Graphics Procedures

• SGPlot
• SGPanel
• SGScatter
• SGRender

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Statistical Graphics Procedures (cont)

• Support for
• By group processing
• Formats/Titles/Footnotes/Labels
• ODS Graphics statement manages settings

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ODS Graphics Statement

• Controls the runtime environment for producing
  template-based graphs
• Similar to the old goptions statement (with fewer
  options)
• Options for reset, size, image name and format,
  scale, dpi, antialiasing,
• Enables the creation of default Statistical
  Procedure graphs

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The ODS Graphics Editor/Designer (9.2 Phase 2)

• Interactively add, edit or delete titles,
  footnotes, super/subscripts, labels, lines,
  symbols,
• Change the style or the size of the graph
• Add annotation to the graph
• Available within SAS or as a stand-alone
  downloadable application

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Graph Template Language

• Creating a graph using GTL involves
• Defining the structure of the graph using the GTL
  syntax in a STATGRAPH template that is specified
  on the TEMPLATE procedure.
• Creating the graph by running the SGRENDER
  procedure to associate the appropriate data with
  the template.

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Graph Template Language (cont)

• Graph layout options include
• Overlay
• Gridded/Lattice
• Datapanel
• OverlayEquated
• Overlay3D

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Graph Template Language (cont)

• Graph templates allow customization of
• Titles, footnotes, row and column headers,
  sidebars and text entries.
• Linear, time and log axes.
• Styles and attributes.
• Appearance of grouped and non-grouped data.

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Graph Template Language (cont)

• Graph templates also allow the use of
• Dynamics
• Macro variables
• Conditional logic, expressions and functions

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Conclusion

• In version 9.2, SAS/Graph has been completely
  re-written to a template-based orientation.
• Clean and intricate graphs can now be produced
  via a straight forward coding method.
• The old approaches to SAS/Graph still mostly work
  as well.
• Thank you!