Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 10:09:47 -0500 From: "Muir, Timothy" Subject: The Boston Area SASR Users Group Meeting Announcement - Quarterly Meeting March 13, 2002 The Boston Area SAS(R) Users Group Quarterly Meeting March 13, 2002 WHAT: Quarterly BASUG Meeting WHEN: Wednesday, March 13, 2002, 8:30AM to 12:00PM WHERE: Holiday Inn - Newton (Directions are included below) 399 Grove Street Newton, MA 02462 617-969-5300 INDIVIDUAL, ON-LINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED. NO EMAIL! To Register visit: http://www.basug.org/register.php3 CONTACT:If you have questions about the meeting contact: Lori Goldman - (781) 863-2000 Ext. 3445 Please Note the following : This meeting will be at a Beginner to Advanced level of SAS. AGENDA: 8:30 - 8:45 - Sign in and Coffee Break 8:45 - 9:00 - Meeting Announcements and Introductions 9:00 - 9:50 - 'Make Your Match and Capture the Data' By Robert Rosofsky 9:50 - 10:00 - Break and Refreshments 10:00 - 10:50 - 'User Input Macros - A Substitute for Modifying Code' By Steve Freitas 10:50 - 11:00 - Break and Refreshments and BASUG Business 11:00 - 11:20 - 'The FILEVAR option of the FILE statement' By Bruno Berszoner 11:20 - 11:40 - 'Using a colon to abbreviate a list of variable names' By Bob Virgile 11:40 - 12:00 - A Tip for (not) Re-Sorting a Large Dataset By Elizabeth Axlerod ABSTRACTS AND BIOS: 9:00 - 9:50 - "Make Your Match and Capture the Data" By Robert Rosofsky, Health Information Systems Consulting Abstract: SAS has a set of RX ("regular expression") pattern matching and string manipulation functions. They provide a great deal more flexibility and power than string functions such as INDEX(), SCAN(), SUBSTR(), etc.in managing character strings. These functions enable one to locate, extract, and change character strings and are especially useful in situations of varying data patterns, formats (with a small “f”), and placement within your source data. This presentation is an introduction to the power of SAS pattern matching functions and will make use of a series of real-world examples to illustrate the utility of these functions. Bio: To improve patient care and public health through the effective use of information systems, Robert Rosofsky has been developing and implementing health information systems for nearly two decades in both the public sector and recently as an independent consultant. He offers services in project management, systems analysis, SAS data management/ statistical programming, and SAS training. 10:00 - 10:50 - 'User Input Macros - A Substitute for Modifying Code' By Steve Freitas, MIB Group, Inc. Abstract: Every SAS programmer at some point in their career runs into the situation where they are presented with the situation of having to deal with similar types of data from various sources. This data invariably is in different formats. This talk will give a demonstration of how to use the %window command within SAS to develop user defined input statements. This allows the user to input the file structure to read without having to modify SAS code directly. Extensions of this technique can allow the user to input the title statements for reports, describe the source of any data set for input, or to define any variable where a macro can be used. Bio: Steve Freitas is a Senior Developer at e-Services Corporation which is part of the MIB Group, Inc. He is currently responsible for the model development and statistical analysis of medical impairment information. Prior to joining the MIB Group, Steve worked in support of the development of medical devices, polymer chemical products, protective equipment for the US soldier, and as a Public Health Statistician. He holds a Master’s Degree in Biostatistics from the University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public Health. 11:00 - 11:20 - 'The FILEVAR option of the FILE statement' By Bruno Berszoner, Private Healthcare Systems, Inc. Abstract: The FILEVAR option of the FILE statement in SAS has special uses when breaking apart large SAS data sets into numerous text files, each with a different name. The FILEVAR option defines a variable that controls the name of the text file that the program's output is directed to. Each time the value of that variable changes, output is redirected to a new file. This Coder's Corner topic will illustrate how the FILEVAR option is used to break apart the single large text file containing the Medicare physician fee schedules available from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid studies web site. The end result is a series of text files, each containing the specific Medicare physician fee schedule for a portion of the United States. Bio: Bruno Berszoner is the Manager of Competitive Reimbursement at Private Healthcare Systems, Inc. in Waltham, MA and has been programming in SAS for more than 15 years. He is also a member of the BASUG Steering Committee. 11:20 - 11:40 - 'Using a colon to abbreviate a list of variable names' By Bob Virgile, Robert Virgile Associates, Inc. Abstract: The SAS software contains many uses for a colon, such as labeling statements, defining the range of array subscripts, and scanning through a line of data to locate nonblank characters. This coder's corner presentation explores yet another possibility: using a colon to abbreviate a list of variable names. Bio: Bob Virgile is a SAS veteran, with 19 years of experience developing and teaching SAS courses. He is an independent SAS trainer and consultant, and has been a regular presenter at SUGI, NESUG, and other regional conferences. He writes the problem-solving contests for SUGI (and formerly for NESUG), and has written two books for SAS Institute. 11:40 - 12:00 - 'A Tip for (not) Re-Sorting a Large Dataset' By Elizabeth Axlerod, Abt Associates Abstract: You have a huge dataset, happily sorted by one or more keys. But you need to modify your key fields on a relatively small number of records, which will result in an un-sorted file. This paper presents a quick way to re-sort your file ... without re-sorting your file! Bio: Elizabeth Axelrod is a Lead Programmer Analyst at Abt Associates Inc.. She has been using SAS for almost 20 years, and she's been a SAS fan(atic) for almost that long! She is currently the Chairperson for BASUG. DIRECTIONS DRIVING: FROM BOSTON: Take I-90 West to Exit 15, then take Route 128 South (I-95)1/4 mile to Exit 22. When you exit, stay right and bear right at the fork onto Grove Street. Hotel is on your left. FROM SOUTH OF BOSTON: Take Route 128 North (I-95) to Exit 22. When you exit, stay right and bear right at the fork onto Grove Street. Hotel is on your left. FROM WESTERN MASS: Take I-90 East to Exit 14, then take Route 128 South (I-95) 1/4 mile to Exit 22. When you exit, stay right and bear right at the fork onto Grove Street. Hotel is on your left. FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE: Take I-93 South to Route 128 South (I-95), follow for approximately 15 miles to Exit 22. When you exit, stay right and bear right at the fork onto Grove Street. Hotel is on your left. FROM RHODE ISLAND: Take I-95 North to Route 128 North (I-95). Follow to Exit 22. When you exit, stay right and bear right at the fork onto Grove Street. Hotel is on your left. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: The hotel is adjacent to the Riverside T Station. From Kenmore Square take the Green Line - D (Riverside) to the Riverside stop. Hotel is adjacent to the T Station. The hotel is also accessible from downtown Boston via Express Bus #500 (EXPRESS BUS Riverside - Downtown Via Mass. Turnpike.). See http://www.mbta.com/schedmaps/bus/index.cfm for detailed bus route and schedule. Bus drops off at Riverside T Station. Hotel is adjacent to the T Station. INDIVIDUAL, ON-LINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED. NO EMAIL! To Register visit: http://www.basug.org/register.php3 CONTACT: If you have questions about the meeting contact: Lori Goldman - (781) 863-2000 Ext. 3445 BASUG CONTACTS: BASUG's Mail Address: BASUG PO Box 253 Boston, MA 02117 To email our Webmaster: webmaster@basug.org SUBSCRIBE TO OUR EMAIL LIST: Subscribers receive automatic e-mail notification of upcoming meetings, courses, and conferences of interest to local SAS users. To subscribe to the BASUG message list, send a message to majordomo@basug.org, and in the BODY of the message specify: subscribe basugnews To unsubscribe to the BASUG message list, send a message to majordomo@basug.org, and in the BODY of the message specify: unsubscribe basugnews