Glossary

active window

a window that is open and displayed, and to which keyboard input is directed. Only one window can be active at a time.

aggregate syntax

a convenient way of referring to individual files in a single directory or folder. Instead of assigning a unique fileref to each file, you assign a fileref to the directory or folder. Then, to refer to a specific file in that folder, you enclose the filename in parentheses following the fileref. Aggregate syntax is used in the FILE, INFILE, and %INCLUDE statements.

background process

in UNIX environments, a process that executes independently of the shell. When a command is executing in a background process, you can enter other commands or start other background processes without waiting for your initial command to finish executing.

batch mode

a method of executing SAS programs in which a file that contains SAS statements plus any necessary operating environment commands is submitted to the computer's batch queue. After you submit the program, control returns to your computer, and you can perform other tasks. Batch mode is sometimes referred to as running in the background. The program output can be written to files or printed on an output device.

buffer

an area of computer memory that is reserved for use in performing input/output (I/O) operations.

cat

a UNIX command that means concatenate. This command is commonly used to list file contents and to concatenate files.

catalog

See SAS catalog.

class name

a name that provides a way to group individual X resources together. For example, DMSboldFont and DMSFont are two separate X resources, but they are both part of the Font class.

client

an application that requests either resources or services from a server, possibly over a network.

command interpreter

a program (such as the shell) that translates your commands into a language understood by the computer.

command line

the location in any SAS windowing environment window designated with Command ===>.

command prompt

the symbol after which you enter operating system commands. In UNIX environments, different shells use different command prompts. The default command prompt for the Bourne shell and the Korn shell is $, and the default prompt for the C shell is %.

container window

any SAS window that contains interior windows.

converting SAS files

the process of changing the format of a SAS file from the format that is appropriate for one version of SAS to the format that is appropriate for another version in the same operating environment.

current directory

the directory that you are working in at any given time. When you log on, your current directory is the starting point for relative pathnames.

device driver

a program that controls the interaction between a computer and an external device such as a printer or a disk drive.

directory

a special type of file in UNIX operating environments that contains a group of files or other directories.

download

to copy a file from a remote host to a local host.

encoding

a mapping of a coded character set to code values.

environment variable

in UNIX environments, a shell variable whose value or values can be accessed by any program that is executed from that shell. The shell assigns default values to some environment variables. For example, the type of terminal and the type of command prompt are specified by the default values of two environment variables.

error message

a message in the SAS log or Message window that indicates that SAS was not able to continue processing the program.

external file

a file that is created and maintained by a host operating system or by another vendor's software application. SAS can read data from and route output to external files. External files can contain raw data, SAS programming statements, procedure output, or output that was created by the PUT statement. A SAS data set is not an external file.

file descriptor

under UNIX operating systems, a nonnegative integer identifier used to refer to a file opened for reading or writing or both.

file extension

the classification of a file in a directory that identifies what type of information is stored in the file. For example, .sas7bcat is the file extension for UNIX, and .pdf is the file extension for Adobe Acrobat.

font

a typeface with a specific character shape, spacing, weight, and size. The characters in a font can be figures, symbols, or alphanumeric.

foreground process

in UNIX environments, a process that executes while you wait for the command prompt to reappear. You cannot execute additional commands while the initial command is being executed in a foreground process.

home directory

the directory in which a user is placed after logging in. The home directory is also called the login directory.

I/O time

an abbreviation for input/output time. I/O time is the time the server spends on moving data from storage into memory for work (input time), and moving the result out of memory to storage or to a display device, such as a terminal or a printer (output time).

index

a component of a SAS data set that enables SAS to access observations in the SAS data set quickly and efficiently. The purpose of SAS indexes is to optimize WHERE-clause processing and to facilitate BY-group processing.

interactive line mode

a method of running SAS programs in which you enter one line of a SAS program at a time at the SAS session prompt. SAS processes each line immediately after you press the ENTER or RETURN key. Procedure output and informative messages are returned directly to your display device.

libref

a SAS name that is associated with the location of a SAS library. For example, in the name MYLIB.MYFILE, MYLIB is the libref, and MYFILE is a file in the SAS library.

local SAS session

a SAS session running on the local host. The local session accepts SAS statements and passes those that are remotely submitted to the remote host for processing. The local session manages the output and messages from both the local session and the remote session.

login directory

See home directory.

lp

under UNIX, a line-printer command, commonly used to direct output to a printer destination via the line printer daemon.

member

a type of SAS file in a SAS library. Types of SAS files include a data set, a view, a catalog, a stored program, and an access descriptor.

memory

the size of the work area that the central processing unit (CPU) must devote to the operations in a program.

motif

an X Window System graphical user interface (GUI) that is used in the UNIX environment.

network

an interconnected group of computers.

noninteractive mode

a method of running SAS programs in which you prepare a file of SAS statements and submit the program to the operating system. The program runs immediately and comprises your current session.

path

the route through a hierarchical file system that leads to a particular file or directory.

pathname

in UNIX operating systems, a filename that specifies all of the directories that lead to a particular file in the file hierarchy.

PID

See process ID.

pipe

under UNIX operating systems and derivatives, the facility that links one command to another so that the standard output of one becomes the standard input of the other.

process ID

a unique number that is assigned to each process by the operating system. Short form: PID.

protocol

a set of rules that govern data communications between computers and peripheral devices.

redirect

to direct output to a destination other than standard output or to read input from a source other than standard input.

remote browser server

a software agent that runs on your desktop and sends URLs to the browser to display.

remote browsing

a mechanism that is used by SAS to display HTML information (for example, help text and ODS HTML output) using a browser on your desktop.

SAS catalog

a SAS file that stores many different kinds of information in smaller units called catalog entries. A single SAS catalog can contain different types of catalog entries.

SAS library

a collection of one or more files that are recognized by SAS and that are referenced and stored as a unit. Each file is a member of the library.

sasauth

a SAS subprocess that performs user authentication and identification functions. The sasauth process is located in the !SASROOT/utilities/bin directory.

sasperm

a SAS subprocess that determines resource access privileges for users.

sasroot

a term that represents the name of the directory or folder in which SAS is installed at your site or on your computer.

sasuser profile catalog

a SAS catalog in which SAS stores information about attributes of your SAS windowing environment. For example, this catalog contains function-key definitions, fonts for graphics applications, window attributes, and other information that is used by interactive SAS procedures.

sequential access

a method of file access in which the records are read or written one after the other from the beginning of the file to the end.

server

software that provides either resources or services to requesting clients, possibly over a network.

session

a single period during which a software application is in use, from the time the application is invoked until its execution is terminated.

session gravity

in the X window interface to SAS, the resource that controls the region of the workstation display in which SAS attempts to place its windows.

shell

a UNIX command interpreter. Sample shells are sh, csh, and ksh.

shell script

a file containing commands that can be read and executed by the shell.

special file

under UNIX operating systems, an interface to an input or output device. Writing to or reading from the file activates the device.

standard error

under UNIX operating systems, the destination of a program's error messages. Standard error is also called stderr.

standard input

the primary source of data going into a command. Standard input comes from the keyboard unless it is being redirected from a file or piped from another command. Standard input is also called stdin.

standard output

the primary destination of data coming from a command. Standard output goes to the display unless it is being redirected to a file or piped to another command. Standard output is also called stdout.

swap

to move data or program code from a computer system's main memory to a storage device such as a hard disk, or vice versa.

toggle

an option, parameter, or other mechanism that enables you to turn on or turn off a processing feature.

toolbox

a part of the SAS windowing environment in which you can place icons that you can associate with SAS commands or macros. Selecting an icon executes its associated command or string of commands.

toolset

a set of predefined tools that is associated with an application. Toolsets make it easier for individual users to customize their application toolboxes.

Universal Printing

a feature of SAS software that enables you to send SAS output to PDF, Postscript, GIF, PNG, SVG, and PCL files, as well as directly to printers. The Universal Printing system also provides many options that enable you to customize your output, and it is available in all of the operating environments that SAS supports.

working directory

the directory in which a software application is invoked.

X resource

a characteristic of a window interface, such as font type, font size, color, gravity, and window size.

X resource file

in the X Window System, a file that stores attribute specifications for the windowing environment, such as color, gravity, font types and sizes, and window sizes.

X server

in an X Window System, the program that mediates access to the display, mouse, and keyboard from one or more application client programs.

X window system

a graphical windowing system that was developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.