Problem Solved!

Weeks ago, I posted a question on the GVSUG Listserve, in which I wanted to determine a way to save a set of GOPTIONS, so if I changed them, I could come back to them later. I received a number of very useful and smart suggestions (you should try posting your problem to GVSUG Listserve!)

My situation was that I was trying to view SAS/GRAPH output on my screen (DEVICE=WIN), and then once I had them looking the way I wanted them to look, I output my graph using ODS RTF and DEVICE=PNG, but I would have to change the font sizes to look good in ODS. Then I would proceed to return to DEVICE=WIN and change my font sizes back to generate more graphs, but by going to ODS RTF and DEVICE=PNG, some of the GOPTIONS did not return to their original settings, and displaying graphs on the screen didn’t look right now.

I present the best solution I have found, courtesy of Jeff Cartier of SAS Institute. (Jeff wasn’t reading the GVSUG Listserve. He contacted me about a related problem.) Jeff wrote:

What I have found to work fairly well is:

1. Decide the size of the graph at the beginning (HSIZE and VSIZE)
2. Fix a VPOS value (say 100) so the default VPOS does not get involved (when you change devices VPOS nearly always changes)
3. Choose your font and set it with FTEXT and FTITLE (STYLE variable in annotation).
4. Leave everything cell-based and use GUNIT=PCT so that all size values are in percentages
5. Establish a baseline percentage size for titles (HTITLE), axis labels and values (HTEXT), marker symbols (SYMBOL HEIGHT=), etc, in percentages. Choose sizes that work well with the graph output size.
6. For annotation use the default HSYS='4'. The SIZE variable should be in percentages. If you use the same percentage as for FTEXT, the annotation text and axis values should be the same size. Of course you can make your annotation bigger or small, but at least it will change in proportion to the other text.

I have to admit, I was very skeptical, but it does work for me! Graphs look almost identical in whatever device I choose. Switching back and forth doesn’t seem to hurt the appearance of the graph, and I don’t have to change the font sizes when I switch back and forth. My code for most of the settings that Jeff recommends goes into my SAS AUTOEXEC and so I can set them once and forget them — I have them set automatically every time I use SAS. Thanks, Jeff!

PharmaSUG 2005

PharmaSUG is the pharmaceutical SAS Users Group. Its annual conference, PharmaSUG 2005, will be held May 22–25 in Phoenix, AZ. Get all the details here.

NESUG 2005 Call For Papers

Posted on behalf of NESUG

We hope you all had a very happy new year and are now thinking about writing papers for 2005. NESUG 2005 will be held September 11–14 in Portland, Maine and the Call for Papers is now open. The deadline for submitting an abstract is April 15 but you don’t have to wait until then. You can submit an abstract any time. If accepted, a draft of your paper will be due on June 23 and the final paper is due on July 21.

This is the first time NESUG will be in Portland, Maine. The city has much to offer whether you are interested in history, museums, recreational activities, shopping, scenery, or cuisine. This is a perfect location to plan a few extra days before and/or after the conference. The weather should be fantastic at that time of the year.

So now is the time to take action! You can submit an abstract in any of our sections:

• Administration & Support
• Analysis
• Applications
• Coders’ Corner
• Data Presentation
• Hands-On Workshops
• Ins & Outs
• Posters
• Programming & Manipulation

If you have never presented before, this is the time to give it a try. First time presenters are always welcome and encouraged. You can submit a short paper (10 min) in the Coders’ Corner section, or longer ones (20 min or 50 min) in any of the other sections, or you can prepare a Poster. Our Section Chairs will guide you through the process so that you will feel comfortable and be successful.

And remember, all presenters get a discounted registration fee.

For detailed information, please go to our web site and read the Call for Papers. It includes a description of the sections, instructions for submitting an abstract, and all deadline information.

If you still have questions, feel free to contact the Conference Chairs or the Section Chairs listed in the Leadership Team.

We look forward to having you work with us on NESUG 2005 and be a part of another exciting and successful conference.

See you in Portland! Your NESUG 2005 Conference Chairs:

Sue Douglass
s.douglass@att.net

Lois Levin
Lois.Levin@NESUG.org