Date:         Sat, 20 Nov 1999 15:57:31 +1100
Reply-To:     Tim CHURCHES <TCHUR@DOH.HEALTH.NSW.GOV.AU>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Tim CHURCHES <TCHUR@DOH.HEALTH.NSW.GOV.AU>
Subject:      Re: Fortran code
Comments: To: Msragnmb@FS1.EC.MAN.AC.UK
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

>>> Natalia Barbosa <Msragnmb@FS1.EC.MAN.AC.UK> 11/20/99 02:53am >>> writes:
> I am an inexperienced user of SAS. My aim is to estimated a
> mixed Poisson model using a code written in Fortran. I have
> understand that the SAS is compatible with this language, but, I
> cannot find the way to convert the Fortran code into a SAS-IML
> code.

Both the SAS data step language and SAS/IML have some similarities to Fortran but
they are far from being "compatible" with it. I'm sure you could rewrite your Fortran programme
in SAS/IML, but it might be a lot of effort. AFAIK, there is no automated tool to do this.

SAS/Toolkit is an alternative - you can use this to link Fortran code to the SAS system to
create customised procedures such as you require, However, apart from some fairly
detailed programming knowledge, SAS/Toolkit requires a separate and not inexpensive
license which may not be available at Manchester Uni. Of course, SAS/Toolkit ought to
be available as a free add-on to Base SAS (aside to other readers: why else do think I am replying
to this message...have to make a political point somewhere...), but it's not.

It might also be worth looking at PROC NLMIXED, which is new in the much anticipated Version 8
of SAS (which may or may not be available at Manchester Uni...) - you may be able to fit your
model using it.

However, why not just export your data (which is presumably in SAS datasets) to an ASCII
file and use your Fortran code with that, then read the results back into SAS is you need to?
That is probably less effort than porting Fortran code to SAS.

Tim Churches