Introduction to SAS/IML Software

Typographical Conventions

This book uses several type styles for presenting information. The following list explains the meaning of the typographical conventions used in this book:

text

is the standard type style used for most text.

FUNCTION

is used for the name of SAS/IML functions, subroutines, and statements when they appear in the text. This convention is also used for SAS statements and options. However, you can enter these elements in your own SAS programs in lowercase, uppercase, or a mixture of the two.

SYNTAX

is used in the "Syntax" sections’ initial lists of SAS statements and options.

argument

is used for option values that must be supplied by the user in the syntax definitions.

VariableName

is used for the names of variables and data sets when they appear in the text.

LibName

is used for the names of SAS librefs (such as Sasuser) when they appear in the text.

bold

is used to refer to mathematical matrices and vectors such as in the equation $\bm {y} = \bm {A} \bm {x}$.

Code

is used to refer to SAS/IML matrices, vectors, and expressions in the SAS/IML language such as the expression y = A*x. This convention is also used for example code. In most cases, this book uses lowercase type for SAS/IML statements.

italic

is used for terms that are defined in the text, for emphasis, and for references to publications.