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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 the translation layer which is SASPy.

Setting up can be difficult, but this guide is here to help you! Keep in mind there are many different ways to connect to SAS and different operating systems will have different steps. The following vignette will only address connecting to SAS On Demand for Academics (ODA) servers. If you are looking to utilize other SAS clients, check out the SASPy configuration documentation. Although it is quite lengthy, it will provide you with all the necessary steps to connect to any SAS client from any machine.

Signing up for SAS ODA

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.

Installing Python

If you do not already have Python already installed, install Python from the Python Software Foundation website.

Installing Java

If you do not already have Java installed, install Java. Note the path that you install java in.

If you do have Java installed, but do not remember where you installed it, then…

In windows, it is usually installed in C:\Program Files\Java\jdk{version number}, but you can double check by opening up a terminal and typing in:

where java

In mac or linux, it is usually installed in /usr/bin/java, but you can double check by opening up a terminal and typing in:

which java

Note the Java path for later.

Setting up SASPy

Note we are going install the SASPy package in our global python install. It’s often a better practice to create a virtual environment, conda environment, or use one of the many other ways to isolate package installs. This isn’t necessarily a worry if you only plan to use SAS and R together.

In windows, open up a command prompt type in:

py -m pip install wheel
py -m pip install SASPy
py -m pip install pandas
py -m site --user-site

In linux or max, open up a terminal and type in:

python3 -m pip install wheel
python3 -m pip install SASPy
python3 -m pip install pandas
python3 -m site --user-site

This will install the required packages for SASPy and then print out the path where they were installed. Navigate to this path and find the SASPy folder. This is where the SASPy package is stored. Create a new file within the SASPy package called sascfg_personal.py.

Inside that file paste the the following:

SAS_config_names = ['oda']

oda = {
    'java' : '{java path}',
    #US Home Region 1
    #'iomhost' : ['odaws01-usw2.oda.sas.com','odaws02-usw2.oda.sas.com','odaws03-usw2.oda.sas.com','odaws04-usw2.oda.sas.com'],
    #US Home Region 2
    #'iomhost' : ['odaws01-usw2-2.oda.sas.com','odaws02-usw2-2.oda.sas.com'],
    #European Home Region 1
    #'iomhost' : ['odaws01-euw1.oda.sas.com','odaws02-euw1.oda.sas.com'],
    #Asia Pacific Home Region 1
    #'iomhost' : ['odaws01-apse1.oda.sas.com','odaws02-apse1.oda.sas.com'],
    #Asia Pacific Home Region 2
    #'iomhost' : ['odaws01-apse1-2.oda.sas.com','odaws02-apse1-2.oda.sas.com'],
    'iomport' : 8591,
    'encoding' : 'utf-8',
    'authkey' : 'oda'
}

Remember back to where java was installed on your computer and replace {java path} with the path to your java install.

Note: If your path contains \ replace them with / or \\.

Next, remember which SAS ODA server your account resides in. Remove the # for the line after your SAS ODA server.

As an example:

SAS_config_names = ['oda']

oda = {
    'java' : '/usr/bin/java',
    #US Home Region 1
    #'iomhost' : ['odaws01-usw2.oda.sas.com','odaws02-usw2.oda.sas.com','odaws03-usw2.oda.sas.com','odaws04-usw2.oda.sas.com'],
    #US Home Region 2
    'iomhost' : ['odaws01-usw2-2.oda.sas.com','odaws02-usw2-2.oda.sas.com'],
    #European Home Region 1
    #'iomhost' : ['odaws01-euw1.oda.sas.com','odaws02-euw1.oda.sas.com'],
    #Asia Pacific Home Region 1
    #'iomhost' : ['odaws01-apse1.oda.sas.com','odaws02-apse1.oda.sas.com'],
    #Asia Pacific Home Region 2
    #'iomhost' : ['odaws01-apse1-2.oda.sas.com','odaws02-apse1-2.oda.sas.com'],
    'iomport' : 8591,
    'encoding' : 'utf-8',
    'authkey' : 'oda'
}

We’re almost done! One last thing.

On Windows, create a file named _authinfo in C:\Users\{your username}\.

On Mac or Linux, create a file named .authinfo in /home/{your username}/ a.k.a. ~.

Within this file write the following:

oda user {your SAS ODA username} password {your SAS ODA password}

Substitute the {your SAS ODA username} with the username you noted earlier, and {your SAS ODA password} with your ODA password. You’re done setting up SASPy!

Using sasquatch

Now that you have everything set up, you can start using sasquatch.

Open up your favorite R IDE and install sasquatch

pak::pkg_install("ryanzomorrodi/sasquatch")

Now you can create SAS quarto code blocks just like any other!

Example:

---
format: html
engine: knitr
---

```{r}
library(sasquatch)
sas_connect()
```

```{sas}

```

Interactive use

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.