Date:         Fri, 7 Sep 2007 17:17:45 -0400
Reply-To:     Kevin Roland Viel <kviel@EMORY.EDU>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Kevin Roland Viel <kviel@EMORY.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Friday Afternoon Musing
In-Reply-To:  <200709072035.l87H9JdG019327@mailgw.cc.uga.edu>
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On Fri, 7 Sep 2007, Chang Chung wrote:

> so technically it is incorrect to say that the libname statements executes.
> It is, however, correct to say that the libname statements take immediate
> effects once being compiled.

This is the point at which the computer scientist respond, highlighting
that I am a SAS user and not programmer :)

The cited statements (RUN, ENDSAS) are instructions.  Does SAS still not
need to compile (intrepret) them?  What distinguishes performed
instructions from execution?


> it says, "(ENDSAS Statement) terminates a SAS job or session after the
> current DATA or PROC step executes"

How?  The instructions must be translated, sent to the CPU, and performed?
Is this not "execution"?

Perhaps, the OP meant that when RUN is compiled, no further compilation
occurs, and the compiled statements to that point are executed?  I am
interested to hear some answers, but Knuth's machine is haunting me at the
moment.

Kevin

Kevin Viel, PhD
Post-doctoral fellow
Department of Genetics
Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research
San Antonio, TX 78227