BASUG Half-Day Training Session

 

We are delighted to host Mike Zdeb, who will be teaching a half-day course for BASUG on Combining Data.  If you find yourself needing to combine datasets, check out this course – it’s packed with tools, tips, techniques and loads of examples! 

 

And by the way… The topic of combining data fits right in with our SAS Challenge… the basis for our March 2009 Quarterly meeting.

 

Topic   

Combining Data:  From SET to HASH

 

Course Description

This course is intended to guide the SAS programmer through the myriad ways of combining SAS data sets.  It will cover a broad range of data set handling subjects, from the very basic (combining of data sets with a SET statement) through the more complex (combining observations using a data step hash object).  Most of the time will be spent using the data step, though some PROC SQL alternatives to data step solutions will also be discussed (in the context of many-to-many merges and fuzzy merging). 

 

The course is intended for new (less than intermediate) level SAS users, though some more advanced users might learn a few new applications in the later stages of the course that discuss the use of arrays, formats, and hash tables. 

 

The entire course will be crammed with examples, and we will run lots of SAS jobs and look at outcomes, rather than just text slides.  In addition to a handout, students will receive a copy of the example SAS code used throughout the course. 

Please see detailed topics below.

 

Instructor

Mike Zdeb, University of Albany, School of Public Health

 

When

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

1:30PM – 5:00PM

 

Where

Brookline Holiday Inn

1200 Beacon Street

Brookline, MA 02446

(617) 277-1200           (see directions below)

 

Price

$125  (if paid by check postmarked by Tuesday, November 25th)

$150  (paid at-the-door)

Please see details below.

 

Audience

Beginning to Intermediate SAS programmers looking to extend their skills in SAS data set manipulation.

 

Prerequisites

Familiarity with the very basic DATA step operations will help in understanding the more complex parts of this training, but is not entirely necessary.

 

Benefits

Attendees will come away with an extended toolkit for various situations that require combining data from multiple sources.

 

Contact

If you have questions about the course contact: 

Bridget Neville (Bridget_Neville@dfci.harvard.edu)

     or Stephen Freitas (sfreitas76@yahoo.com).

 

Registration

Pre-registration is required.  Please see detailed information below.

 

 

Combining Data:  From SET to HASH

Course Topics 

  • Concatenation (SET with more than one data set)
  • Interleave (SET + BY)
  • Merge (MERGE)
  • Match-Merge (One-to-One, One-to-Many, Many-to-Many)
  • PROC SQL for alternatives to data step matches and for fuzzy matching
  • Using a self-interleave
  • Using multiple SET statement and DOW loops in a single data step
  • Look-up tables using arrays, formats, and a data step hash object.

 

Instructor Bio

 

Mike Zdeb is an Assistant Professor in the Epidemiology Department of the University of Albany, School of Public Health.  He has been a SAS user for over 20 years and is the author of “Maps Made Easy Using SAS”, a book in the SAS books-by-users series.  Mike has presented papers and conducted workshops at SUGI (aka SAS Global Forum) and NESUG, and also at meetings of various local SAS User Groups in the United States and Canada.  Among courses taught by Mike at the School of Public Health are a three credit introductory SAS course and a one credit course in advanced topics in SAS.  Mike (along with his students) has been the subject of several SAS e-newsletter articles and links to those articles are available on Mike’s school-related web site:   http://www.albany.edu/~msz03.

 

 

Registration and Payment Instructions

 

Please read this entire section carefully!

 

1.  Pre-register

You must pre-register for this training by going to this site: http://www.basug.org/register.php3

 

Individual, On-Line Pre-Registration is Required. 

No Email, please!

 

All registrants will receive an immediate email confirmation of their pre-registration. Within 72 hours you will then receive another e-mail, with a customized invoice for the training, based on your membership and registration status.

 

Seats are limited, so register early!  Seating is guaranteed only for pre-paid registrants.

 

2.  Mail your check

Complete the invoice form and mail it along with your check, postmarked by November 25th, 2008, to our Treasurer at:

BASUG

PO Box 253

Boston, MA 02117

 

3.  Members only!

Note that this class is open to BASUG members only.  This means that your 2008 $30 individual membership dues must be paid up in order to attend!  If you are not currently a member, your invoice will include the $30 fee for 2008 BASUG membership dues.

 

If you have any questions about your BASUG membership status, please contact our Membership Coordinator (Robert Rosofsky) at:  Robert.Rosofsky@Verizon.net

 

4.  Cutoff date

Please do not mail any checks after November 25th, 2008. 

If you miss the mail-in deadline, bring your completed invoice form and a check made payable to BASUG to cover the at-the-door tuition rate of $150, plus any $30 membership fees due, as specified in your invoice form.  For walk-ins, we will only be able to accommodate people on a first-come, first-served basis until seats are filled.

 

Full payment is due by the day of the class.  There will be NO EXCEPTIONS.  As a small voluntary organization, we cannot accept credit cards at this time.  We also will not handle cash, so checks only please.

 

5.  Refund Policy

To receive a full refund, notify either of the meeting coordinators (see “Contact” above) by 5PM on November 25th. After November 25th, we will refund your payment only if we can fill your seat with attendees at the door.

 

 

 

MEMBERSHIP

 

Keep your BASUG Membership up-to-date!  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 $30 annually.  For more information on our membership policy, or to print out a form, visit: http://www.basug.org/basugj.shtml

 

 

 

  

DIRECTIONS TO THE TRAINING

 
Directions to the Brookline Holiday Inn can be found at: http://www.basug.org/directions.html
 
 
BASUG CONTACTS
 
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