SAS provides
two predefined component objects that you can use in a DATA step to
access SAS logging: the appender object and the logger object. These
objects enable you to record log events and write these events to
the appropriate destinations.
The DATA step Component
Interface enables you to create and manipulate the logger and appender
objects by using statements, attributes, and methods. You use the
DECLARE statement to declare and create a component object. You use
DATA step object dot notation to access the component object's attributes
and methods. Attributes are the properties that specify the information
that is associated with an object. Methods define the operations that
an object can perform.
An appender and logger
object need to be created only one time for each DATA step. Because
the DATA step uses the implicit loop to process observations in a
data set, you can use the automatic variable _N_ in an IF statement
to process the appender and logger object code during the first DATA
step iteration.
Note: The DATA step component object
statements, attributes, and methods are limited to those defined for
these objects. You cannot use SAS Component Language functionality
with these predefined DATA step objects.