Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1998 09:49:27 -0800
Reply-To: Paul OldenKamp <paul.oldenkamp@BOEING.COM>
Sender: "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU>
From: Paul OldenKamp <paul.oldenkamp@BOEING.COM>
Subject: Re: SAS Components
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Chris Strickland wrote:
>
> I'm having a hard time at work convincing folks to use SAS because we have
> Matlib, which is called from Visual C++ programs. That's a big plus. Does
> anyone else think it would be useful if SAS started developing components
> that could be used in Visual C++ programs, and/or OCX routines, where each
> of the major components (ie SAS/Stat) would be the classes, the various
> proc's the methods, and the different options the methods. This would allow
> for customized applications with plug in SAS components.
>
> Any thoughts?
You're right Chris. For about a week last September some web pages on
the
SI web site were available that included access to a paper written by
Chip
Kelly and Michael Stierhoff titled, "DSS Architectures for the New
Client
Landscape". While the web page was labeled 'confidential' I was told by
a SI staff person that it would be OK to discuss the paper.
The paper says,
"SAS Institute is currently working on the ORA for SAS software that
defines
a structure for distributed object programming for SAS servers and
standalone
components. It defines an object-oriented progamming discipline for
developing SAS components that are available to non-SAS clients which
conform to the standard COM and CORBA distributed object architectures.
The
advantages of providing an abstraction layer for both of the emerging
object
distribution standards are numerous:
* The use of distributed objects allows SAS software to be executed
near the
(often voluminous) data
* The user interface can be moved outside of the SAS software
environment.
Standard user interface development environments such a Java
Advanced Window
Toolkit(AWT), Java Foundation Class, Visual Basic, and
C++/Microsoft
Foundation Class(MFC) can be used to develop interfaces for SAS
services.
* SAS software can be added incrementally to existing customer
applications
written in a wide variety of environments from Visual Basic and
Java to C++
and CICS(IBM mainframe transaction processing).
* Distributed applications provide more options for client
platforms. the
client platform need not be capable of hosting SAS, e.g., network
computers.
* Participation in a distributed security mechanisms, managed under
the
customer's distributed application management mechanisms,
advertised in the
customer's organization directory system, and transported over
whatever
network protocols are in use at the customer's site."
The paper goes on to discuss why this is a good idea for decision
support systems.
It would be nice if the Institute would share more of this information
with us.
I think that there is a great urgency to get this added to the SAS
system quickly
if the Insititute is to catch the wave of current web development and
conversions.
It's almost too late at my company since we have heavily committed to
vendors
who can support CORBA *now* for both our line of business and decision
support
systems.
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