An Introduction to SAS/EIS

EIS stands for Enterprise Information System. SAS/EIS is a component of SAS that enables users to summarize, integrate and display information in easily accessed and easily understood reports. In the introductory statistics courses at WPI, you will use only one of its many capabilities: that of calling SAS macros.

SAS macros are programs written in the SAS programming language which perform special tasks, some of which are not otherwise available to novice SAS users, and some of which are not otherwise available to any SAS users. Some macros have been written expressly to support computer labs for the introductory statistics courses at WPI. Some provide statistical functions or procedures of interest to general users. EIS provides a simple, menu-driven interface for SAS users of these macros. In addition, the macros themselves are written with a windows interface for data entry and output.

Running Macros from EIS

To run macros from EIS proceed as follows:

1. Choose Solutions:EIS/OLAP Application Builder from the menu bar on the main SAS window.
2. From the resulting window, select Applications.
3. A small SAS/EIS: Applications window will appear. Click on Run private applications....
4. A SAS/EIS Run Private Application window will pop up with the titles and description of each available application. To run an application, click on its name.

Why not try an application now? Scroll down to the application called ORACLE (To scroll, place the pointer on the slider bar, click the left mouse button, and move the mouse. You can scroll more slowly by clicking with the left mouse button on the arrows at the top or bottom of the scroll bar.). When you see the word ORACLE, click on it (ONCE ONLY, PLEASE!). A window should appear asking for your question. Ask whatever is on your mind, then press enter.

A Couple of Useful Things to Know

1. You may get a message that no application database has been set up. If so, do the following:
   1. In the SAS/EIS Applications window, click on Set applications...
   2. Next click on Primary private application...
   3. Input EISAPPS for the library and EISAPP for the Application database.
2. On some programs requiring data entry, a message such as
   

   ERROR: Required data needed at row 7 column 50

   will appear at the bottom of the SAS window when you enter a piece of data. This occurs under certain circumstances when you hit the enter key instead of the tab key after typing some needed input. This message affects nothing, and you can safely ignore it.

3. Take care when using SAS/INSIGHT and EIS at the same time. If an EIS macro uses a SAS data set, and that data set is open in SAS/INSIGHT, the macro may fail to run properly.

Where Next?

Windows SAS Introduction.

Introduction to SAS/INSIGHT I: Elementary Concepts. This is the minimal tutorial you should do to be familiar with the basics of SAS/INSIGHT, a graphically-oriented data analysis system

Introduction to SAS/INSIGHT II: Advanced Concepts. This tutorial will show you some of the more advanced features of SAS/INSIGHT

Last modified: Tue Mar 12 11:46:04 EDT 2013