1. Some ways to encourage quality programming
Greg steffens
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2. Encourage (or Discourage) Quality
The way we manage SAS programming groups has a big impact on programmers attitudes about quality
Decisions about process and technology communicate to them what the real attitude is about quality
Actions speak much more loudly than words when it comes to management. Mission statements, SOPs, values statements don’t have the impact that actions have.
Let’s talk about a few easy things that can be done to encourage quality attitudes in a programming group
… or discourage quality in a group by taking contrary actions
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3. SAS Log Checks
A macro that searches log files for a list of text strings that I created over the years - is the shortest list to find all the issues in SAS log files
Automatically runs every time a SAS program is submitted
Can also be run for …
A single log file
All log files in a specified directory
All log files defined in an input data set
All log files in a list of directories
Can create an html report and an output data set
A permanent record of the log scan is very important to audits
Run by programmer, validation programmer, manager, etc.
Reusable macros should not result in any of these messages
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4. Why Scan Log Files?
Automates the search for a standard list of log messages, instead of manual and inconsistent searches
Supports search for any set of messages in the SAS log by augmenting or overriding the default list
SAS log files can become very large, especially when running more intelligent macros, making manual review time consuming and error prone
Messages are generated for a reason. They indicate a probable problem with the output
Programming should be clean, especially when submitting to the FDA or if you work for a CRO providing code to a client
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5. File comparison
Performs a smart comparison of all same-named files in two directories and similar-named files with prefixes
Displays a metric of how different files are
E.g. comparing production to validation programs that create SDTM, ADaM, TFLs, to be sure there is no common code used by both programmers
Can be used to compare program files, reports, etc.
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6. Finding called macros
Finds all SAS macro calls that exist in SAS program files
Can be used to ensure a production and validation programmer don’t use the same macros
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7. Checking Datetimes of files
Checks datetimes of SAS program, log and lst files to ensure that the program was not changed after it was run
Confirms the output file was created after the program file was last changed
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8. SAS library Comparison
Compares all members in two SAS libraries, of the same or similar names
Can lookup primary key variables to add an ID statement to the proc compares that are run for each data pair
Compares SAS catalog entries, as well as data sets
Creates a lst output and an output data set
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9. Define xml DataType Text Char Integer Num Float Num Datetime Char
Date Char
Time Char
partialDate Char
partialTime Char
partialDatetime Char
incompleteDatetime Char
durationDatetime Char
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10. Define xml SignificantDigits
The number of digits following the decimal point in a floating point number.
Business Rule: When DataType is float both Length and SignificantDigits must be provided.
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11. Programmatic Derivation from Data
The DataType and SignificantDigits can be programmatically determined from the data sets
Consideration of the SAS variable type and assigned format is part of this derivation
Looking at character variable values can determine whether there is an ISO date being stored. Also, map metadata can assist with this as well, since many ISO dates are created from SAS date and datetime source variables
Metadata describing data standards can also be used
Variable naming conventions can be used but as a last resort. This is not a good design because it becomes unreliable.
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12. These are required for VLM too
The paramrel variables need to be defined for each TESTCD or PARAMCD value
Paramrels: orres oresu stresn stresc stresu, position, location, etc.
So it isn’t as easy as looking at the variable type in SAS
The values have to be considered as a set of values in a virtual variable being described
If you don’t fully support VLM, you don’t support define 2.0
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13. Greg Steffens
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