Murphy,

Nat's responses about historical trends in the evolution of computers made me remember one that shows that SAS wasn't the first to include sound in their machines.

I remember one of the early mainframes I worked on, a Xerox model. When you shut it down, it played the Star Spangled Banner for you. You can read a little about it at: http://arcterex.net/net.rum

Art --------- On Thu, 30 Dec 2010 08:57:28 +0800, Murphy Choy <goladin@GMAIL.COM> wrote:

>Hi to all, > >I would like to vote for the call sound routines as the oddest function in >SAS. I cannot understand why a sound producing function is present in a data >processing/analytics software? > >On Thu, Dec 30, 2010 at 8:51 AM, Jack Hamilton <jfh@stanfordalumni.org>wrote: > >> I would like a REORDER data set option, available for both input and output >> data sets. I think that would be more useful - you might want to use the >> same data set in several places with its variables in different order (input >> data set option), and you might also want to create several different data >> sets in a single data step, each with its variables in a different order >> (output data set option). >> >> >> On Dec 29, 2010, at 3:35 PM, Arthur Tabachneck wrote: >> >> > Paul, >> > >> > I totally agree, but also wish that SAS would actually create some extra >> > functions, based on the ones you mention, but with with each being >> limited >> > to accomplish basic functions. >> > >> > E.g., A lot of confusion would have been avoided over the years if a >> REORDER >> > function existed that was really just an extremely limited version of >> > RETAIN. >> > >> > Art >> > ------ >> > On Wed, 29 Dec 2010 18:12:19 -0500, Paul Dorfman <sashole@BELLSOUTH.NET> >> > wrote: >> > >> >> Mike, >> >> >> >> I would vote for RETAIN and LAG/DIF, as in my opinion, both are >> misnamed, >> >> which alone has fostered endless heap of confusion in generations of SAS >> >> programmers. >> >> >> >> Since RETAIN is a negative compile time imperative, I would rather have >> the >> >> instruction name start with a negative prefix, say, NOSETMISS, >> NOAUTONULL, >> >> etc., even if such neologisms roll off the tongue much more awkwardly >> than >> >> RETAIN. An oddly shaped keyword is a lesser evil than countless >> neophytes >> >> scratching their heads asking what the heck the statement tells SAS to >> >> retain. >> >> >> >> Likewise, if LAG had been called QUEUE, a great body of SAS confusion >> could >> >> have been avoided - both primary (based on not reading the documentation >> > and >> >> instead trying to ascertain the workings of LAG by code >> cannibalization), >> >> and secondary (based, for example, on misguided recommendations to avoid >> >> using LAG in conditional clauses and such). Perhaps it would be even >> better >> >> if the functions were called something like QUEUEVAL and QUEUEDIF (or >> > maybe >> >> just QVAL and QDIF) - at least then no nonsensical impression would be >> >> imparted that the functions have anything to do with the "current" and >> >> "preceding" observations. >> >> >> >> And, on the seasonal note: Happy New Year, everyone! >> >> >> >> Kind regards >> >> ------------ >> >> Paul Dorfman >> >> Jax, FL >> >> ------------ >> >> >> >> On Wed, 29 Dec 2010 08:39:58 -0500, Michael Raithel >> >> <michaelraithel@WESTAT.COM> wrote: >> >> >> >>> Dear SAS-L-ers, >> >>> >> >>> Each and every one of us who eats, drinks, breathes, sleeps, and dreams >> > SAS >> >> programming has one. It's that one feature of SAS that we think is kind >> >> of... is very... is somewhat... well, odd. It could be an option, a >> > format, >> >> an informat, a function, a call routine, a statement, a PROC, etc. but >> it >> >> exists and we scratch our heads and wonder why. >> >>> >> >>> If you can relate to this, let the list know your own vote for the >> oddest >> >> SAS programming language feature. >> >>> >> >>> Here is one of mine: >> >>> >> >>> The EXCHANGE statement on PROC DATASETS swaps the names of two SAS data >> >> sets. So, if it were executed against NEWFILE and OLDFILE, the name of >> >> NEWFILE would be changed to OLDFILE and the name of OLDFILE would be >> > changed >> >> to NEWFILE. Consequently, the names of the two files would be >> exchanged. >> >> And, it would happen in the flashing blur of a nanosecond! >> >>> >> >>> Here is an example: >> >>> >> >>> proc datasets library=work nolist; >> >>> exchange newfile = oldfile; >> >>> run; >> >>> quit; >> >>> >> >>> In this example, we exchange the names of the NEWFILE and OLDFILE data >> >> sets. The contents of each data set remains the same; it is just that >> they >> >> got a name change. >> >>> >> >>> The EXCHANGE statement always reminds me of the Metamorphosis Illusion >> >> (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metamorphosis_(illusion) <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metamorphosis_%28illusion%29>). I think that in >> >> the unlikely event that I ever use it in one of my programs, I will >> watch >> > it >> >> very, very closely to see if I can discern exactly how the trick is >> done:) >> >>> >> >>> Happy New Year to one and all! >> >>> >> >>> 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 >> >>> >> >>> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ >> >>> One man's "magic" is another man's engineering. "Supernatural" is a >> null >> >> word. - Robert A. Heinlein >> >>> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ >> > > > >-- >Regards, >Murphy Choy > >Certified Advanced Programmer for SAS V9 >Certified Basic Programmer for SAS V9 >DataShaping Certified SAS Professional