Date:         Thu, 25 Sep 2003 15:23:47 -0500
Reply-To:     kevinmyers@austin.rr.com
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Kevin Myers <kevinmyers@AUSTIN.RR.COM>
Subject:      Re: SAS Online Help and Online Doc
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Yes, I just heard essentially the same thing from a little birdie, and I'm very glad to hear that my gripes appear to have already been largely addressed.  Now if they would only come out with a V9 incarnation of SAS/LE (hopefully with somewhat more relaxed restrictions), then my life would be greatly simplified!

s/KAM


----- Original Message -----
From: "Delaney, Kevin P." <khd8@CDC.GOV>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.sas-l
To: <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2003 3:05 PM
Subject: Re: SAS Online Help and Online Doc


> In my copy of Version 9 (Version 9.00 (TS M0)) The two are no longer
> separate entities, we have one (looks html based) document that has the look
> of a windows help file and the functionality and completeness of the
> OnlineDoc, plus a relatively functional index and search.
>
> Although I am sure it's not perfect yet, it seems SAS is moving in the right
> direction.
>
> (Although it does become more difficult to use if the documentation is laid
> out differently every two years...)
>
> Kevin Delaney
> Kdelaney@cdc.gov
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ehresmann, Paul [mailto:EHRES001@SURGERYTRIALS.DUKE.EDU]
> Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2003 1:29 PM
> Subject: Re: SAS Online Help and Online Doc
>
>
> Kevin,
>
> Amen to your points. I also have noticed the non-synchonized problems. Maybe
> SAS will take note and see the errors of their ways (I should live so long).
>
> Thanks!
>
> Paul Ehresmann
> Senior Analyst/Programmer
> American College of Surgeons Oncology Group
> Duke Clinical Research Institute
> Duke University School of Medicine
> Box 3627
> Durham, NC 27710
> Phone:  919-668-8234
> Fax:  919-668-7122
> E-mail:  Paul.Ehresmann@duke.edu
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kevin Myers [mailto:kevinmyers@austin.rr.com]
> Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2003 1:03 PM
> To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: SAS Online Help and Online Doc
>
>
> Hello folks,
>
> In a recent thread regarding use of the filename() function with DDE, I
> pointed out that a restriction that I ran into was not mentioned at all in
> the online help.  In fact, as many of you are already no doubt very well
> aware, that is just the smallest tip of a very large iceberg.
>
> In fact, for the vast majority of the functions in the online help, there is
> no description at all for any of the function arguments.  You are lucky if
> you can determine the argument type, and there is very little usage
> information, not even simple lists of valid values.  The same can be said of
> the descriptions of many other SAS statements and options in the online
> help.  IMHO, that renders the online help much less useful than it ought to
> be.
>
> Of course one might attempt to argue that you should use the Online Doc when
> more detailed information is needed than that provided in the online help.
> However, that argument doesn't really cut it either, because the Online Doc
> is significantly outdated in many areas where the online help does have much
> more up to date and complete information.  What all of this means is that
> there is NO convenient, single source that can be used for comprehensive SAS
> documentation.  You have to use both the online help and the online doc
> together to try to insure that you have the latest and most complete info.
>
> In my opinion, the Online Doc and online help items should be consolidated
> into a single, comprehensive online documentation source.  Besides reducing
> user frustration, that would allow SAS to eliminate development,
> maintenance, and (somewhat unsuccessful) synchronization of two completely
> separate sets of documentation for the same products.  Additionally, with
> hyperlinking, there is no reason that using the same doc for both purposes
> should reduce the usability.  Finally, with multi-hundred gigabyte disk
> drives becoming the norm these days, there shouldn't be any major concern
> with the larger size of the online doc as compared to the online help.  For
> those who don't want to keep the doc in online storage, an option could be
> provided to allow for near line storage (e.g. CD), similar to many current
> Windows products (e.g. MS Office).
>
> Would any of you other folks agree with me on this subject?
>
> Thanks,
> s/KAM
>