If I were in Atlanta, I would try very hard to attend this meeting. Jason Secosky is a good speaker, and the new hash objects have the potential to fundamentally change the way some problems are handled in SAS.

Although it is possible to hand-code hashing in the data step (Paul Dorfman has been the most visible advocate on SAS-L), it typically hasn't been worth doing for small amounts of data - the code is too complex, and the understanding too difficult. The data step hash object places the capabilities of associative arrays (as they are known in Perl and some other languages) into the hands of beginning and intermediate programmers.

As the invitation says, "you can write DATA Step applications that could not be written before". So if you're in the area, go!

-- JackHamilton@FirstHealth.com Manager, Technical Development Metrics Department, First Health West Sacramento, California USA

-- JackHamilton@FirstHealth.com Manager, Technical Development Metrics Department, First Health West Sacramento, California USA

>>> "Fehd, Ronald J. (PHPPO)" <rjf2@CDC.GOV> 03/17/2004 11:48 AM >>> Tuesday after Memorial Day

-----Original Message----- From: Steves.David [mailto:David.Steves@SunTrust.com] Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2004 2:31 PM Subject: **** JUNE 1st ******* SAS speaker -Jason Secosky presenting at our Greater Atlanta SAS user group meeting

Great news !

JUNE 1st 1pm - 4:30pm at SUNTRUST Plaza 2nd Floor-room 2054

We will have - SAS speaker -Jason Secosky presenting the SAS topic:

No Fuss Hashing: DATA Step's Built-in Hash Object

Hash tables are a data structure that enable rapid multi-key lookups of data. In SAS 9.1, the DATA Step Hash Object provides an in memory hash table that you can use for fast key searches. This talk quickly introduces hash tables, then shows you how to use a hash table to merge unsorted, non-indexed data, how to test for set inclusion without SAS formats and the PUT function, and how the Hash Object is the only DATA Step data structure that expands to fit as much data as memory allows. This presentation will show how you can write DATA Step applications that could not be written before.

SAVE the date!

More details to follow!!!!

your GASUG co-hosts,

David Steves Denise Figliozzi