A
table template describes
how to generate the output for a tabular output object. (Most ODS
output is tabular.) A table template determines the order of column
headings and the order of variables, as well the overall look of the
output object that uses it.
For information about customizing the table template, see
the topic on the TEMPLATE procedure in TEMPLATE Procedure: Creating Table Templates. In addition
to the parts of the table template that order the headers and columns,
each table template contains or references
table elements.
A table element is a collection of table attributes that apply to
a particular header, footer, or column. Typically, a
table
attribute specifies something about the data rather
than about its presentation. For example, FORMAT specifies the SAS
format, such as the number of decimal places. However, some table
attributes describe presentation aspects of the data, such as how
many blank characters to place between columns.
Note: The attributes of table templates
that control the presentation of the data have no effect on output
objects that go to the LISTING or OUTPUT destination. However, the
attributes that control the structure of the table and the data values
do affect LISTING output.