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Introduction
SAS stands for Statistical Analysis System. It is a software package that allows you to perform statistical analysis on the research data you have collected. Before you can start using Windows SAS, you need to become familiar with the SAS language as well as the Windows environment.
Starting the SAS session
To use Windows SAS from an Open Access Lab computer, select:
Start > All Programs > SAS 9.4 > SAS 9.4
This will start the SAS session which automatically opens up three windows:
- Editor window (also called the Enhanced Editor in some releases of SAS) is where you type in your SAS program.
- Log window contains the log of the program run and can also include error and warning messages.
- Output window contains the output of the program run.
You can move between these windows by clicking the appropriate button at the bottom of the SAS session or clicking Window from the Command menu and selecting the appropriate window.
Executing a SAS program
After starting up SAS, type in your SAS program in the Editor window. If the SAS program already exists, open it by clicking File > Open and selecting the file that contains the SAS program. Note that the Editor is a regular text editor, and you can use the text-editing buttons to edit your program.
Next, save your program by selecting File > Save As (if it is a new program) or File > Save (if saving to the same file). A SAS program is always saved with the .sas extension.
Submit or execute the program by clicking the Submit button 
After the program execution ends, the Output window automatically appears if any output is generated.
NOTE: It is always a good idea to check the Log window for any errors, warnings, or other diagnostic information.
Printing the SAS program run
Once the SAS program runs successfully, you can print the SAS program, the log and the output after setting up the printer.
To set up the printer, click File > Print Setup and then do the following:
- To select the printer, click the pull-down menu of the printer names and select the printer.
- To change the font, click the Font button and select the font type and size and click OK.
- To set the margins, click the Page Setup button and select the various margins and click OK.
- To change the orientation, click the Page Setup button and select the desired orientation and click OK.
Once the printer is set up correctly, you can do the following:
- Print the SAS program by selecting the Editor window that contains it, and then clicking File > Print > OK.
- Print the program log by selecting the Log window and clicking File > Print > OK.
- Print the output from the program run by selecting the Output window and clicking File > Print > OK.
NOTE: Select the 'Landscape' orientation when printing the contents of the Log and the Output windows.
Ending the SAS session
Once you finish using Windows SAS, close the SAS session by selecting File > Exit or clicking the Close button.
SAS short courses
Short course instruction for SAS is no longer available through Computing and Information Services. For assistance with SAS, email Help Desk Central at helpdesk@tamu.edu.
Frequently asked questions
If I get any syntax errors in my SAS program, where can I go to receive help?
Email sashelp@tamu.edu with the problem description.
How do I preview my program output before I print it?
Select the Output window in the SAS session and click File > Print Preview
If I have installed SAS on my computer, how do I start it?
You can start it by selecting:
Start > All Programs > SAS > SAS 9.4 (English)
Can I open more than one SAS program in my SAS session?
Yes, you can.