Michael has written an excellent learning and reference manual about SAS® indexes which is well thought out and presented aptly.
Marje Fecht Partner Prowerk Consulting
Michael Raithel effectively demonstrates how to create indexes; more importantly, he explains when to use (and not use) indexes.
Your definitive guide to using SAS® indexes Do you struggle with the problems of extracting data from large SAS data sets? Are you designing applications where response time is of great importance? Let this example-driven book guide you to the many ways you can use SAS indexes to reduce the computer resources needed to process large SAS data sets, leading to faster programs and reduced computer charges. You will learn:
The types of applications that can benefit from the use of indexes.
How indexes can save computer processing resources and wallclock time.
The difference between simple and composite SAS indexes.
How to create indexes with the DATA step and with SAS procedures.
The four program constructs that will get SAS to use your indexes.
What centiles are and how you can use them.
How to recover missing indexes and repair damaged indexes.
And much more!
Whether you're a novice SAS user seeking to understand SAS indexes, an advanced user seeking a reference, or a SAS programmer working with large data sets, this book was written for you!
About the Author
Michael A. Raithel, a Senior Systems Analyst for Westat, has worked with Information Systems in the commercial and government sectors since 1980. An internationally recognized expert in the use of SAS software in mainframe environments, he is the author of two previous SAS books, over twenty SAS technical papers, and is a popular lecturer at SUGI and at regional SAS conferences. Michael has been a section chair at SUGI, SESUG, and NESUG, and he co-chaired NESUG in 1995. A copy of his first SAS book, entitled Tuning SAS Applications in the MVS Environment, resides in the Smithsonian Institution of American History's Permanent Research Collection of Information Technology.