In previous chapters, you've seen both traditional SAS listing output and HTML output. When you set options to create HTML output, SAS uses Output Delivery System (ODS) statements to generate the output.

Using ODS, you can create, customize, and manage HTML output by submitting programming statements. After you create HTML files, you can view them using Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, or any Web browser that fully supports HTML 3.2.

This chapter shows you how to create and view HTML output using ODS. You also learn how to apply styles to ODS output.

In this chapter, you learn to

ODS gives you formatting options and makes procedure output much more flexible. With ODS, you can easily create output in a variety of formats, including

Also, ODS holds your output in its component parts (data and table definition) so that numerical data retains its full precision.

Let's see how ODS creates output.

When you submit your ODS statements and the SAS program that creates your output, ODS does the following:

You use ODS statements to specify destinations for your output and each destination creates a specific type of formatted output. The table below lists some of the ODS destinations that are currently supported.

For each type of formatted output you want to create, you use an ODS statement to open the destination. At the end of your program, you use another ODS statement to close the destination so that you can access your output.

You can issue ODS statements in any order, depending on whether you need to open or close the destination. Most ODS destinations are closed by default and you open them at the beginning of your program and close them at the end. The exception is the Listing destination, which is open by default.

The following program creates SAS listing output because the Listing destination is open by default. No other ODS destinations are open, so no other output formats are produced.

proc print data=sasuser.mydata;
run;

The following program produces HTML and listing output:

ods html body='c:mydata.html';
proc print data=sasuser.mydata;
run;
ods html close;

As you have learned, the Listing destination is open by default. Because open destinations use system resources, it's a good idea to close the Listing destination at the beginning of your program if you don't want to produce listing output. For example:

ods listing close;

The Listing destination remains closed until you end your current SAS session or until you re-open the destination. It's a good programming practice to reset ODS to listing output (the default setting) at the end of your programs. For example:

ods listing;

The following program produces only HTML output:

ods listing close;
ods html body='c:mydata.html';
proc print data=sasuser.mydata;
run;
ods html close;
ods listing;

One of the features of ODS is that you can produce output in multiple formats at once by opening each ODS destination at the beginning of the program.

When you have more than one open ODS destination, you can use the keyword _ALL_ in the ODS CLOSE statement to close all open destinations at once.

The program below opens the HTML and PDF destinations before the PROC step and closes all ODS destinations at the end of the program:

ods html file='HTML-file-pathname';
ods pdf file='PDF-file-pathname';

proc print data=sasuser.admit;
run;

ods _all_ close;
ods listing;

Notice that the last ODS statement reopens the Listing destination so that ODS returns to producing listing output for subsequent DATA or PROC steps in the current session.

Now that you have learned how to open and close ODS destinations, let's take a closer look at opening the HTML destination to create HTML output.

The program below creates PROC PRINT output in an HTML file. The BODY= option specifies the file F:admit.html in the Windows operating environment as the file that contains the PROC PRINT results.

ods listing close;
ods html body='f:admit.html';
proc print data=clinic.admit label;
   var sex age height weight actlevel;
   label actlevel='Activity Level';
run;
ods html close;
ods listing;

Notice that ODS statements close the Listing destination and open the HTML destination. Then, after the RUN statement, you close the HTML destination and open the Listing destination.

The HTML file admit.html contains the results of all procedure steps between the ODS HTML statement and ODS HTML CLOSE statement.

If you're working in the Windows environment, when you submit the program, the body file will automatically appear in the SAS internal browser or your preferred Web browser, as specified in the Results tab of the Preferences window.

In other operating environments, you can double-click the corresponding link in the Results window to view the HTML output in your Web browser. If you don't have a Web browser in your operating environment, you can transfer the HTML files to an operating environment where you can view them.

When you specify a path and filename for your HTML results, the HTML file does not automatically open in SAS Enterprise Guide. Use Windows Explorer to locate the file you created and then double-click it to open it in your browser.

When you submit the program, two HTML results will appear in the Project window. One uses the HTML style that is active in SAS Enterprise Guide. The other uses the ODS statements from the code that you submitted and creates a temporary file labeled with the path and filename that you designated. It is similar in style to the actual HTML file that gets created in the location that you specify.

In this chapter, you will use Windows Explorer to locate the actual HTML file you created and then double-click it to open it in your browser.

When you submit the program, two HTML results appear in the Project window. One is the HTML output that is created by SAS Enterprise Guide ODS statements.The other uses the ODS statements from the code that you submitted and creates a temporary file labeled with the path and filename that you designated. It is similar in style to the actual HTML file that gets created in the location that you specify.

You can double-click the shortcut to open the HTML results in SAS Enterprise Guide, or you can right-click the shortcut and select Open with default-browser to open it in a browser. To see the actual file rather than the temporary file, you can use Windows Explorer to locate the HTML file you created and then double-click it to open it in your browser.

You can also use the ODS HTML statement to direct the results from multiple procedures to the same HTML file.

The program below generates HTML output for the PRINT and TABULATE procedures. The results for both procedures are saved to the file C:Recordsdata.html in the Windows environment. A link for each output object (one for each procedure) appears in the Results window.

You can also use the ODS HTML statement to direct the results from multiple procedures to the same HTML file.

The program below generates HTML output for the PRINT and TABULATE procedures. The results for both procedures are saved to the file C:Recordsdata.html.

ods listing close;
ods html body='c:
ecordsdata.html'; 
proc print data=clinic.admit label;
   var id sex age height weight actlevel;
   label actlevel='Activity Level';
run;
proc tabulate data=clinic.stress2;
   var resthr maxhr rechr;
   table min mean, resthr maxhr rechr;
run;
ods html close;
ods listing;

The following is a representation of the HTML file containing the results from the program above. Notice that the results from each procedure are appended.

In the program below,

ods listing close;
ods html body='c:
ecordsdata.html' 
         contents='c:
ecords	oc.html' 
         frame='c:
ecordsframe.html';
proc print data=clinic.admit label;

   var id sex age height weight actlevel;
   label actlevel='Activity Level';
run;
proc print data=clinic.stress2;
   var id resthr maxhr rechr;
run;
ods html close;
ods listing;

The Results window does not display links to frame files, and in the Windows environment only the body file will automatically appear in the internal browser or your preferred Web browser.

To view the frame file that integrates the body file and the table of contents, select File

The frame file, frame.html, is shown below.

The table of contents created by the CONTENTS= option contains a numbered heading for each procedure that creates output. Below each heading is a link to the output for that procedure.

On some browsers, you can select a heading to contract or expand the table of contents.

By specifying the URL= suboption in the BODY= or CONTENTS= file specification, you can provide a URL that ODS uses in all the links that it creates to the file. You can use the URL= suboption in any ODS file specification except FRAME= (because no ODS file references the frame file).

General form, URL= suboption in a file specification:

    (URL='Uniform-Resource-Locator')

where Uniform-Resource-Locator is the name of an HTML file or the full URL of an HTML file. ODS uses this URL instead of the file specification in all the links and references that it creates that point to the file.

In this ODS HTML statement, the URL= suboption specifies only the HTML filename. This is the most common style of linking between files because maintenance is easier and the files can be moved as long as they all remain in the same directory or storage location.

ods html body='c:
ecordsdata.html' (url='data.html')
         contents='c:
ecords	oc.html' (url='toc.html')
         frame='c:
ecordsframe.html';

The source code for frame.html has only the HTML filename as specified on the URL= suboptions for the body and contents files.

Alternatively, in this ODS HTML statement, the URL= suboptions specify complete URLs using Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). These files can be stored in the same or different locations.

ods html body='c:
ecordsdata.html'
         (url='http://mysite.com/myreports/data.html')
         contents='c:
ecords	oc.html'
         (url='http://mysite.com/mycontents/toc.html')
         frame='c:
ecordsframe.html';

As you would expect, the source code for frame.html has the entire HTTP addresses that you specified in the URL= suboptions for the body and contents files.

So far, you've learned to specify the complete pathname for HTML files in the BODY=, CONTENTS=, and FRAME= specifications when you want to save HTML files to specific locations. To streamline your ODS HTML statement, you can also use the PATH= option to specify the location where you want to store your HTML output, and you can use the URL=NONE to prevent ODS from using the pathname in any links it creates in your files.

General form, PATH= option with the URL= suboption:

    PATH=file-location-specification <(URL= NONE | 'Uniform-Resource-Locator')>

where

• file-location-specification identifies the location where you want HTML files to be saved. It can be one of the following:

  • the complete pathname to an aggregate storage location, such as a directory or partitioned data set

  • a fileref (file shortcut) that has been assigned to a storage location

  • a SAS catalog (libname.catalog).

• Uniform-Resource-Locator provides a URL for links in the HTML files that ODS generates. If you specify the keyword NONE, no information from the PATH= option appears in the links or references.

            If you do not use the URL= suboption, information from the PATH= option is added to links and references in the files that are created.

filename pdsehtml '.example.htm'

   dsntype=library dsorg=po

   disp=(new, catlg, delete);

Also, you should specify valid member names for the HTML files (without extensions).

In the program below, the PATH= option directs the files data.html, toc.html, and frame.html to the C:Records directory in the Windows operating environment. The links from the frame file to the body and contents files contain only the HTML filenames data.html and toc.html.

ods listing close;
ods html path='c:
ecords' (url=none)

         body='data.html'
         contents='toc.html'
         frame='frame.html';
proc print data=clinic.admit;
run;
proc print data=clinic.stress2;
run;
ods html close;
ods listing;

This program generates the same files and links as the previous example in which you learned to use the URL= suboption with the BODY= and CONTENTS= file specifications. However, it's a bit simpler to specify the path only once in the PATH= option and to specify URL=NONE.

In the program below, the PATH= option directs the files data.html, toc.html, and frame.html to the C:Records directory in the Windows operating environment. The links from the frame file to the body and contents files contain the complete pathname, c: ecordsdata.html and c: ecords oc.html:

ods listing close;
ods html path='c:
ecords'
         body='data.html'
         contents='toc.html'
         frame='frame.html';
proc print data=clinic.admit;
run;
proc print data=clinic.stress2;
run;
ods html close;
ods listing;

In the program below, the PATH= option directs the files data.html, toc.html, and frame.html to the C:Records directory in the Windows operating environment. The links from the frame file to the body and contents files contain the specified URL, http://mysite.com/myreports/data.html and http://mysite.com/myreports/toc.html:

ods listing close;
ods html path='c:
ecords'(url='http://mysite.com/myreports/')
         body='data.html'
         contents='toc.html'
         frame='frame.html';
proc print data=clinic.admit;
run;
proc print data=clinic.stress2;
run;

ods html close;
ods listing;

In the program below, the STYLE= option applies the Brick style to the output for the PROC PRINT step:

ods listing close;
ods html body='c:
ecordsdata.html'
    style=brick;
proc print data=clinic.admit label;
     var sex age height weight actlevel;
run;
ods html close;
ods listing;

The following example shows PROC PRINT output with the Brick style applied.

You've seen that you can use the STYLE= option to apply predefined styles to your HTML output. However, you may want to further customize your results.

ODS provides ways for you to customize HTML output using definitions for tables, columns, headers, and so forth. These definitions describe how to render the HTML output or part of the HTML output. You can create style definitions using the TEMPLATE procedure. See the online documentation for more information.

LIBNAME libref 'SAS-data-library';

ODS LISTING CLOSE;

ODS HTML PATH=file-specification

    <(URL='Uniform-Resource-Locator' | NONE)>

    BODY=file-specification

    CONTENTS=file-specification

    FRAME=file-specification

    STYLE=style-name;

PROC PRINT DATA=SAS-data-set;

RUN;

ODS HTML CLOSE;

ODS LISTING;

libname clinic 'c:data98patients';
ods listing close;
ods html path='c:
ecords'(url=none)
         body='data.html'
         contents='toc.html'
         frame='frame.html'
         style=brick;
proc print data=clinic.admit label;
   var id sex age height weight actlevel;
   label actlevel='Activity Level';
run;
proc print data=clinic.stress2;
   var id resthr maxhr rechr;
run;
ods html close;
ods listing;