Skip to contents

Setting Up

Source: vignettes/setting_up.rmd
setting_up.rmd

sasquatch works by utilizing the SASPy python package, similar to packages like sasr or configSAS. This means everything we do to connect R and SAS, needs to go through SASPy.

Setting up SASPy can be difficult, but this guide is here to help you! Keep in mind there are several different SAS connection methods. The following vignette will go through setting up SASPy with SAS On Demand for Academics (ODA), but the process is roughly generalizable.

For more information about setting up non-ODA SASPy connections, check out the SASPy configuration documentation.

Registration

SAS ODA is free SAS client for professors, students, and independent learners. Create an account at https://welcome.oda.sas.com/.

Once you have set up your account, log in and note the ODA server (in the picture below United States 2) and your username (under the email in the profile dropdown). We will need these for later.

Installation

Install the sasquatch R package from GitHub:

# install.packages("pak")
pak::pkg_install("ryanzomorrodi/sasquatch")

Make sure Python is installed on your system. You can download from Python Software Foundation, or use install_python() from reticulate:

reticulate::install_python()

Use the install_saspy() function to install SASPy. This will automatically create an isolated virtual environment called “r-saspy”.

sasquatch::install_saspy(envname = "r-saspy")

Make sure Java is installed on your system. You can download Java from their website. Note the Java installation path.

Configuration

Set up for SAS ODA is super easy. Run config_saspy() and follow the prompts (you may need to recall your username, server, and java installation path from earlier).

sasquatch::configure_saspy(template = "oda")

RStudio

Within RStudio, you should be able to run SAS chunks as you would any other chunk. However, if you want to be able to view SAS output within the Viewer instead of beneath the chunk, you can utilize the sas_run_selected() addin. To add a keyboard shortcut for this addin, open Tools -> Modify Keyboard Shortcuts and search “Run selected in SAS”, type in the box under Shortcut to set the keyboard shortcut to your liking and click Apply.

Positron

Within Positron, you will not be able to run SAS chunks as you would R or Python chunks. However, just as in RStudio, you can create a keyboard shortcut which will allow you to view SAS output within the Plots pane. Open up the command palette with ctrl+shift+p or command+shift+p and search “Preferences: Open Keyboard Shortcuts (JSON)”. Add the following to your shortcuts.

{
    "key": "ctrl+shift+enter",
    "command": "workbench.action.executeCode.console",
    "when": "editorTextFocus",
    "args": {
        "langId": "r",
        "code": "sasquatch::sas_run_selected()",
        "focus": true
    }
}

Edit the key argument to set your preferred shortcut.