Thanks MIKEEEEE for the pointer to RTFM :) - those are very well displayed pages (particularly the first) for seeing behind the scenes action. Also thanks to everyone else who replied off or online. The unfortunate element of learning the way I did (on the job ;) ) is you miss stuff like this... one day will have to read through the entire early part of Concepts :)

Max - keep the interesting questions coming, even for some of us 'veterans' they're inspiring interesting discussions and helping me at least learn more about things I didn't know I didn't know about :)

-Joe

On Thu, Sep 30, 2010 at 8:48 AM, Michael Raithel <michaelraithel@westat.com>wrote:

> Dear SAS-L-ers, > > Joe posted the following: > > > I'm a bit curious, as someone who knows how to program in SAS but > > didn't > > learn the book way so doesn't know terminology. What does PDV really > > exactly mean? To me, it would mean path from the variables in the code > > and > > input dataset to the output dataset. Then, automatic variables [eg > > _N_, in= > > variables, etc.] wouldn't really be in the "PDV" since they are not > > getting > > written out... Does PDV actually mean the internal temporary memory > > structure that exists in between the code/input data and the output > > data? > > > Joe, good questions! I think that the best explanations/descriptions of > the PDV that I have read are on these two web page from the SAS 9.2 Language > Reference: Concepts, Second Edition: > > > http://support.sas.com/documentation/cdl/en/lrcon/62955/HTML/default/viewer.htm#a000985872.htm > > ...and: > > > http://support.sas.com/documentation/cdl/en/lrcon/62955/HTML/default/viewer.htm#a000961108.htm > > I'm sure that the other SAS-L brainiacs will chime in with their own > recommendations, but those two are the cat's meow for me! > > Joe, best of luck in all your SAS endeavors! > > > I hope that this suggestion proves helpful now, and in the future! > > Of course, all of these opinions and insights are my own, and do not > reflect those of my organization or my associates. All SAS code and/or > methodologies specified in this posting are for illustrative purposes only > and no warranty is stated or implied as to their accuracy or applicability. > People deciding to use information in this posting do so at their own risk. > > +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > Michael A. Raithel > "The man who wrote the book on performance" > E-mail: MichaelRaithel@westat.com > > Author: Tuning SAS Applications in the MVS Environment > > Author: Tuning SAS Applications in the OS/390 and z/OS Environments, Second > Edition > http://www.sas.com/apps/pubscat/bookdetails.jsp?catid=1&pc=58172 > > Author: The Complete Guide to SAS Indexes > http://www.sas.com/apps/pubscat/bookdetails.jsp?catid=1&pc=60409 > > +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > If the rain comes they run and hide their heads. > They might as well be dead. > If the rain comes, if the rain comes. - The Beatles, Rain > +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ >