BASUG

The Boston Area SAS®  Users Group

www.basug.org

 

 

WHAT:              The Boston Area SAS® Users Group Quarterly Meeting Announcement

 

WHEN:              Wednesday, May 10, 2006

                        8:15 – 12:00

 

TOPIC:             Just Can’t Get Enough of SAS® Macros

 

WHERE:           Holiday Inn, Newton

                                Riverside Room

                        399 Grove Street

                        Newton, MA 02462

                        617-969-5300

 

CONTENTS:     Meeting Announcement

                        Abstracts and Bios

                        Directions to Holiday Inn

                        BASUG – General Information

                        BASUG – Membership Application

 

 

MEETING ANNOUNECEMENT

 

TOPIC:             Just Can’t Get Enough of SAS® Macros

 

LEVEL:            Intermediate Level SAS® Programmers – Some Macro Knowledge

 

WHEN:              May 10, 2006, 8:15 – 12:00

 

HOW:                INDIVIDUAL, ON-LINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED. NO EMAIL!

 

                                To register for this meeting, please visit: http://www.basug.org/register.php3

 

CONTACT:        If you have questions about the meeting contact:

                        Steve Freitas (sfreitas76@yahoo.com)

                       

 

AGENDA:

 

8:15 - 8:45         Sign in and Coffee Break

 

8:45 - 9:00         Meeting Announcements and Introductions

 

9:00 -10:15        "Macro Bugs – How to Create, Avoid and Destroy Them” by Ian Whitlock

 

10:15 - 10:35     Break  

 

10:35 - 12:00     "Macro Mania" by Robert Virgile, Robert Virgile Associates, Inc.

 


ABSTRACTS AND BIOS

 

We have gathered 2 of the top knowledgeable SAS® Macro gurus to entertain us for this meeting.  Please join us!

 

Macro Bugs – How to Create, Avoid and Destroy Them” by Ian Whitlock

 

The central theme of this paper is the macro debugging process.  However, a great many bugs are simply due to not understanding how macro processing works, so some time will be spent on understanding this process.  One has to be able to locate bugs before they can be fixed, so time will also be spent on design features as they impinge on the search for bugs.  A moment might be left for the traditionally supplied tools for debugging.

 

The reader may be relatively new to writing macros, but he/she should bring some SAS(r) and some macro experience to the lecture for it is hard to pick up all the background even when all terms are explained.

 

Dr. Ian Whitlock has been programming largely in SAS since 1981.  His main interest is in computer languages, particularly SAS, and how the language affects the programming process.  He has participated since 1985 in many international, regional, and local SAS User Group meetings.  He is also active on SAS-L with some insightful answers to perplexed SAS programmers.

 

 

"Macro Mania" by Robert Virgile, Robert Virgile Associates, Inc.

 

So you're a macro whiz?  Not good enough!  To solve these problems, you'll also need imagination and cleverness, with a little genius (or is it madness?) thrown into the mix.  These problems are difficult, so you’ll get the most out of it if you work on them ahead of time. 

 

Click here for a link to the Macro Problems: http://www.basug.org/downloads/MacroMania.doc

 

Don’t ask for solutions!  They don’t exist, at least not in printed or electronic form.  The only way to obtain the answers is to attend the presentation!

 

Bob Virgile is a SAS guru, with over 20 years of experience designing and teaching SAS courses.  He has written two books for SAS Institute, formerly composed problem-solving contests for NESUG and SUGI, and is currently barred from the NESUG SAS Bowl due to superior SAS knowledge.

 

 

 


BASUG Membership

 

Keep your BASUG Membership up-to-date!  If you are not currently a member,

print out a membership form from our website, and bring it with you to the meeting (along with your check). 

 

Please note that we have discontinued Corporate Memberships - we now provide only Individual Membership at $25 annually.

 

For more information on our membership policy, or to print out a form visit:  http://www.basug.org/basugj.shtml

 

 

DIRECTIONS  TO MEETING

 

Holiday Inn, Newton

Riverside Room

399 Grove Street

Newton, MA 02462

617-969-5300

 

DRIVING:

FROM BOSTON: Take I-90 West to Exit 15, then take Route 128 South (I-95) 1/4 mile to Exit 22. When you exit, stay right and bear right at the fork onto Grove Street. Hotel is on your left.

 

FROM SOUTH OF BOSTON AND RHODE ISLAND: Take Route 128 North (I-95) to Exit 22. When you exit, stay right and bear right at the fork onto Grove Street. Hotel is on your left.

 

FROM WESTERN MASS: Take I-90 East to Exit 14, then take Route 128 South (I-95) 1/4 mile to Exit 22. When you exit, stay right and bear right at the fork onto Grove Street. Hotel is on your left.

 

FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE: Take I-93 South to Route 128 South (I-95), follow for approximately 15 miles to Exit 22. When you exit, stay right and bear right at the fork onto Grove Street. Hotel is on your left.

  

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION:

The hotel is adjacent to the Riverside T Station.   Take the Green Line - D (Riverside) to the Riverside stop.     The hotel is also accessible from downtown Boston via Express Bus #500 (EXPRESS BUS Riverside - Downtown Via Mass. Turnpike.).  See http://www.mbta.com/schedmaps/bus/index.cfm for detailed bus route and schedule. Bus drops off at Riverside T Station. Hotel is adjacent to the T Station.

 

 

BASUG CONTACTS

 

Mail Address:    

      BASUG

      PO Box 253

      Boston, MA 02117

 

Webmaster: basugwm@basug.org