Category Archives: Technology

New Features to be Included in SAS Enterprise Guide 4.3

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saslogo I was one of the unfortunate ones who was unable to attend the SAS Global Forum in Seattle last week.  Thanks to discussion forums, blogs, and Twitter, I was able to keep up with a lot that was going on.  I was particularly interested in some of the new features that will be available in the next version (4.3) of Enterprise Guide, which is scheduled to be available this summer.  Below are some of the features that were mentioned:

  • context sensitive keyword completion (syntax suggestion)
  • relative file addressing
  • code reverse engineering (see what old code is doing)
  • an autoexec process flow for projects (runs automatically when project is opened)
  • code analyzer (reads a program and turns it into a process flow)

I also had the opportunity to preview some of the new features in the upcoming version of Web Report Studio (4.3).  SAS is expanding drag and drop capabilities, which makes creation of report even easier.  The biggest news though is the ability to use more than one data source in a report section!

Useful Vim Commands for SAS Administrators on UNIX

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After a successful installation of SAS Enterprise BI Server on my Sun Servers, a certain amount of time is spent modifying configuration files and backup scripts, as well as browsing log files.  I use the vi editor to accomplish the editing.  I used used vi a lot back when all of my GIS work was performed in the UNIX environment, but once the Intel hardware matured and the GIS tools because available on Windows, I thought I would be able to forget all about the UNIX command line.  Wrong.  I’m back there again, but now I’m armed with a cheat sheet:

Working with files

Vim Command

Action

vi filename

Opens a file with the Vim editor.

:w filename

Save changes to a file. If you don’t specify a file name, Vim saves as the file name you were editing. For saving the file under a different name, specify the file name.

:q

Quit Vim. If you have unsaved changes, Vim refuses to exit.

:q!

Exit Vim without saving changes.

:wq

Write the file and exit.

Moving around in the file

Vim command

Action

j or Up Arrow

Move the cursor up one line.

k or Down Arrow

Down one line.

h or Left Arrow

Left one character.

l or Right Arrow

Right one character.

0

To the beginning of a line.

$

To the end of a line.

:n

Jump to line number n.

Inserting and overwriting text

Vim command

Action

i

Insert before cursor.

o

Open a new line below and insert.

O

Open a new line above and insert.

C

Change the rest of the current line.

r

Overwrite one character. After overwriting the single character, go back to command mode.

R

Enter insert mode but replace characters rather than inserting.

The ESC key

Exit insert/overwrite mode and go back to command mode.

Deleting text

Vim command

Action

x

Delete characters under the cursor.

X

Delete characters before the cursor.

dd or :d

Delete the current line.

Undo and redo

Vim command

Action

u

Undo the last action.

U

Undo all the latest changes that were made to the current line.

Ctrl + r

Redo.

There are obviously many more Vim commands out there.  Typically if I find myself in a situation where extensive modifications need to be made with a text editor, I will use Crimson Editor on Windows.

The list of commands above are a subset of The Vim commands cheat sheet – 1.2.

ActiveX Graphs not Active in SAS Information Delivery Portal when Viewed with Internet Explorer

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SAS Institute Inc.We are still running Internet Explorer version 6.0 in our organization.  When we open our dashboards that we have built in SAS Information Delivery Portal 1.1, the ActiveX graphs do not display detail information when we mouse over them.  The dashboards are running stored processes that output the graphs.  The easy solution is to left-click on the graph to activate it.  This is easy enough if you have one or two graphs on a page, but some of our dashboards include six or seven graphs, which isn’t hard either, it just leaves you thinking that you shouldn’t have to be doing it.  The graphs work perfectly when using Mozilla Firefox, which unfortunately is not our organization standard.  The problem is caused by one or more security patches that Microsoft has made available for Internet Explorer.  SAS Usage Note 17565 explains this in more detail:

Usage Note 17565: ACTIVEX, JAVA, and JAVAMETA graphs may not be active by default when displayed via Internet Explorer

After application of one or more Microsoft security patches/updates, ACTIVEX, JAVA, and JAVAMETA graphs are no longer active by default when displayed via Internet Explorer. This means that the pop-up options menu will not display when you right-mouse button on the graph.

The Microsoft security patches related to this issue include KB912812 and KB912945.

To activate the graph, left-mouse click on the graph. This will activate the current graph and enable use of the right-mouse button. Once the graph is active, flyover data tips will also now display correctly.

Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P LGA775 Socket Motherboard User’s Manual Rev. 1001

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Gigabyte

Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P Motherboard User Manual v1.1 - v.1.1 - 6.75 MB

From Gigabyte:

The GA-EP45-UD3P introduces revolutionary GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 3 technology featuring a 2 oz copper PCB to help reduce system temperature and dramatically enhance performance. Based on the Intel P45 chipset the GA-EP45-UD3P delivers a record-setting 1600MHz FSB for the latest Intel® Core 2™ multi-core processors, and supports dual channel DDR2 memory at speeds of up to 1366MHz and even higher. The GA-EP45-UD3P boasts dual PCI Express 2.0 VGA card slots for ATI CrossFireX™ support with ultra smooth 3D rendering and blazingly-fast frame rates. Additionally, the board incorporates GIGABYTE DES Advanced technology for industry leading energy saving and enhanced system efficiency.

Windows 7 Auto-Login

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If you would prefer to not have to type in a password to log in to Windows 7, Microsoft continues to provide a way to auto-login.  This is the exact same method used in Microsoft Windows Vista (you used that too, right?).

Run dialog box

  • Use the Windows key + R combination on your keyboard to launch the “Run” dialog box
  • Type control userpasswords2 and click OK (Figure 1.)
  • The Advanced User Accounts window will open
  • Uncheck the option “Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer”  and click “OK” (Figure 2.)
  • A new window will appear.  Type in the User Accounts username of the user to automatically log in as well as that user’s current password and confirmation password and click OK
  • The next time the system is restarted , a password will not be required

A New Version of the Garmin Communicator Plugin is Available

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garmin

Garmin Communicator Plugin v2.6.4.0 - v.2.6.4.0 - 4.15 MB

Garmin released version 2.6.4 of the Communicator plugin on March 5, 2009.  Communicator is a plugin that allows a user to upload and download Garmin GPS data using their browser.

Compatible computers and Internet browsers:

  • IBM-compatible PCs running Windows® XP or Vista operating systems with Internet Explorer 6+ or Firefox 1.5+
  • Intel-based or PowerPC G3 or later Mac OS 10.4 or later with Firefox 2.0+ or Safari 2.0+

Installing ArcView GIS 3.3 on Vista

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When installing ESRI’s ArcView GIS 3.3 on the 32-bit version of Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate, the following dialog box instantly appears:

av33

It looks pretty bad.  Even the title says it’s a severe error!  You have to remember, this product was developed back in the Windows 95 days.  esri

There is an easy workaround.  Open Windows Explorer and browse the contents of your ArcView CD-ROM and right-click on setup.exe.  Click on the Compatibility tab, and click the checkbox next to “Run the program in compatibility mode for:” and leave the Windows XP (Service Pack 2) as is.  Now click OK at the bottom of the dialog box to apply the changes and close the box.  Double-click on setup.exe and your installation will begin.

Trimble Planning Software v2.8 is Available

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Trimble

You already knew this, right?  According to Trimble’s web site, version 2.8 of the Planning Software was posted in July 2008.  I was still running version 2.7.  If you aren’t familiar with Planning Software by Trimble, in a nutshell it is software that helps you identify when you will have the greatest opportunity for a successful GPS data collection mission (read lowest DOPs) based on your study site location and local conditions.  Below is a summary of features:

Trimble’s Planning software is a powerful stand-alone software tool supporting any form of analysis to determine visibility for GPS, GLONASS, IGSO and geostationary satellites.

Some of the features include:

Station location:
Pick your location from a list of cities from all over the world, select your location from the world map or type in your local WGS84 position to do more precise mission planning. Add obstructions to your site to determine the best times for GPS observation.

Multi station planning:
Put in multiple station locations to determine the best time to observe these stations simultaneously.

Sky Plots:
Get detailed sky plots (including obstructions) of your site for any time of the day to aid in determining the best available occupation times.

DOP charts:
Chart out the different DOP values by time.

Visible satellites:
Get a quick overview on the number of satellites available for your site, for any time of the day.

Garmin Colorado 400t 2.90 Firmware Update

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garmin I decided to run the Garmin WebUpdater on all of my GPS units this weekend to see if I was still current, but nope, I wasn’t.  I was running version 2.80 firmware on my Garmin Colorado 400t, but it looks like Garmin released a much anticipated version 2.90 of its firmware.  The 2.90 firmware was released December 5, 2008.  Units with versions 2.70 and 2.80 have been well known for their tracking errors (see the GPS Tracklog), but the change history doesn’t say anything about fixing issues like this.  Here is what Garmin claims was updated:

Changes made from version 2.80 to 2.90:

  • Added support for Garmin GB Discoverer maps
  • Added ability to view marine chart notes for marine points
  • Added ability to change the date for the tide and currents charts
  • Added support for marine fishing, nautical, and off modes
  • Fixed a potential shutdown that can occur when panning the map that is showing satellite imagery
  • Fixed issue with 3d view not showing proper elevation detail

SAS Enterprise Guide 4.1 Output

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saslogo I’m currently attending Querying and Reporting Using SAS Enterprise Guide training at the SAS office in Austin, TX.  I’m a veteran at using Enterprise Guide, but SAS has great training courses and you always pick up a lot of worthwhile information when you are lucky enough to attend.  One tidbit that was covered yesterday that I think is worth passing on is how to prevent the procedure title from displaying when you create reports in EG. 

To remove THE FREQ PROCEDURE (or any procedure used in your project) title from your report, go to Tools –> Options –> Tasks –> Tasks General and uncheck “Include SAS Procedure Titles in Results”.  This is a global setting, so the titles will not appear in any project’s output unless you check the box again.