SAS 9.4 Language Reference, 6th Edition

Note: You can create native views that access certain DBMS data by using a

SAS/ACCESS dynamic LIBNAME engine. See “SAS/ACCESS Views” on page

683, or the SAS/ACCESS documentation for your DBMS for more information.

Benefits of Using SAS Views

SAS views provide the following benefits:

• Instead of using multiple DATA steps to merge SAS data sets by common variables,

you can construct a SAS view that performs a multi-table join.

• You can save disk space by storing a SAS view definition. The view definition stores

only the instructions for where to find the data and how it is formatted, not the actual

data.

• SAS views can ensure that the input data sets are always current because data is

derived from SAS views at execution time.

• Since SAS views can select data from many sources, once a SAS view is created, it

can provide prepackaged information to the information community without the need

for additional programming.

• SAS views can reduce the impact of data design changes on users. For example, you

can change a query that is stored in a SAS view without changing the characteristics

of the view's result.

• With SAS/CONNECT software, a SAS view can join SAS data sets that reside on

different host computers, presenting you with an integrated view of distributed

company data.

The following figure shows native and interface SAS views and their relationship to

SAS data files:

Figure 29.1 Native and Interface SAS Views

SAS Data Files

(Data)

SAS Data Views

(View)

DATA Step View

(DATA Step)

Native

(PROC SQL)

Interface

(SAS/ACCESS)

SAS Data Sets

676 Chapter 29 • SAS Views