System Options

System options are instructions that affect your SAS session. They control the way that SAS performs operations such as SAS System initialization, hardware and software interfacing, and the input, processing, and output of jobs. All SAS system options have default settings that are used unless you specify otherwise. For example, page numbers are automatically displayed in SAS listing output (unless your site modifies this default).

Before you create reports and other output in your SAS session, you can specify the following types of system options:


Category Description
Communications Remote and shared communications settings
Environment control SAS session environment settings
Files SAS library and member settings
Input control Data entry and processing settings
Graphics Devices, graphics, and maps settings
Log and procedure output control Log and procedure output settings
Macro SAS macro language settings
Sort Sort procedure settings
System administration Site license and memory settings


Setting System Options

To modify system options in your SAS programs, you can submit an OPTIONS statement.You can place an OPTIONS statement anywhere in a SAS program to change the current settings. Because the OPTIONS statement is global, the settings remain in effect until you modify them or end your SAS session.


General form, OPTIONS statement:
OPTIONS options;

where options specifies one or more system options to be changed. The system options available depend on your host system.


For example, the following OPTIONS statement suppresses the printing of both page numbers and the date and time. 
     options nonumber nodate;

In this example, page numbers and the current date are not displayed on the PROC PRINT output. Page numbers are not displayed on the PROC FREQ output either, but the date does appear at the top of the report. 

     options nonumber nodate;
     proc print data=sales.qtr4;
        var salesrep type unitsold region;
        where unitsold>=30;
     run;
     options date; 
     proc freq data=sales.qtr4; 
        where unitsold>=30;
        tables salesrep;
     run;

The table below summarizes some frequently used system options for controlling the appearance of SAS listing output.


Option Specifies ...
DATE | NODATE whether the date and time appear in your output
NUMBER | NONUMBER   whether page numbers appear in your output
PAGENO= the beginning page number for your output
PAGESIZE= the number of lines printed on each page of output
LINESIZE= the print line width for your log and procedure output


Note: You can also set system options in the SAS System Options window.







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