Creating Models › Creating a Physical Model › Columns › Defining Table Column Properties for Target Databases › Define SAS Table Column Properties

Define SAS Table Column Properties

In a model based on a SAS target server, you use the SAS tab in the Table Column Editor to manage the data type, null option, and other properties for the selected column.

Note: The options described here are the basic options available for most physical data types. There can be more options available depending on the physical data type you assign to the table column. We recommend that you refer to your SAS documentation for more information about using these properties.

To define SAS table column properties

1. Right-click a column in the Model Explorer and click Properties.

   The SAS Table Column Editor opens.

2. Select the table from the Table drop-down that contains the column that you want to define.
3. Select the column in the Navigation Grid that you want to define.

   Note: Click New on the toolbar to create a new column. Use the Enter filter text box to filter a very large list of columns to quickly locate the one that you want to define.

4. Click the SAS tab and work with the following options:

   Physical Data type

   Lets you select a data type from the drop-down list to apply to the selected column. If the selected data type requires a value for precision, scale, or both, enter the value inside the data type parentheses. For example, you can select the DECIMAL() data type and specify a precision of 2 and a scale of 10 inside the parentheses to assign the data type DECIMAL(2,10) to the selected column.

   Null Option

   Lets you specify a null option for the selected column.

   Percent Null

   Lets you enter the estimated percentage of nulls used for that column if the option is available. For example, you can estimate a variable width ADDRESS 2 column assigned a width of 50 characters, to be NULL about 30 percent of the time. Use whole numbers. You can later use the Volumetrics dialog to calculate table and database size estimates based on these and other values.

   Display Format

   Lets you enter the SAS display format information for column data output.

   Label

   Lets you enter a name that identifies the column values in SAS applications. By default, the column name with a colon appended is inserted (for example, customer_name:).

   Display Informat

   Lets you enter the SAS display informat information used for reading column data.

   DB Name

   Lets you enter the name that designates the SAS database.

5. (Optional) Click the Comment tab and enter any comments that you want to associate with the object.
6. (Optional) Click the Where Used tab to view where the object is used within the model.
7. (Optional) Click the UDP tab to work with user-defined properties for the object.
8. (Optional) Click the History tab to view the history information for the object.
9. (Optional) Click the Notes tab to view and edit user notes.
10. Click Close.

    SAS table column properties are defined and the SAS Table Column Editor closes.