Before
SAS 7, most SAS procedures generated output that was designed for
a traditional line-printer. This type of output has limitations that
prevent you from getting the most value from your results:
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Traditional SAS output is limited
to monospace fonts. In a time of desktop document editors and publishing
systems, you want more versatility in printed output.
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Some commonly used procedures produce
printed output but do not create an output data set. Many times it
would be very convenient to produce not only printed output but also
an output data set that you could use as input to another SAS procedure
or to a DATA step.
ODS is designed to overcome
these limitations and make it easier for you to format your output.
The SAS Output Delivery System (ODS) gives you greater flexibility
in generating, storing, and reproducing SAS procedure and DATA step
output along with a wide range of formatting options. ODS provides
formatting functionality that is not available when using individual
procedures or the DATA step without ODS.