SAS Error Messages

sas: command not found

Either you forgot to add sas before trying to start the package or perhaps the system doesn't know what terminal type you are using. You must log out and log back in. When you log in this time, be sure you specify the correct terminal type at the question:
What DISPLAY are you using? [ | none ] ?
This should only happen when connecting to SICL from the outside. If that's the case, try using vt100 as the DISPLAY type.
If you see the prompt:
1?
2?
.
.
.

You have started SAS in interactive mode. Type "endsas;" and hit return. (Don't forget the ";".) This will get you back to unix. Log out and then start again.

statement not valid or used out of proper order

SAS error usually caused by a missing semicolon or the misspelling of a SAS keyword.

unable to open file or
cannot find dataset

Usually caused by misspelling a file name, not enclosing a file name in single quotes, or referencing a nonexistent file.

syntax error: expecting one of the following . . .

A SAS procedure option is misspelled or invalid, or may be caused by a missing semicolon.

Title has become more than 200 characters long

If you see this message from SAS, or if you notice that your Log window has no NOTES or WARNINGS, but only the exact copy of your program statements, you have unmatched quotes, or an unterminated comment.
Look for a single quote (') that has no match or a comment that is not terminated. SAS thinks you are trying to create one BIG title. It finally decides enough is enough when the alleged title becomes over 200 characters long.
To take care of the problem, the best thing is to save your file (with the file 'filename' command), and quit SAS (with the bye command). Restart SAS, retrieve the file again (include 'filename'), and delete the quote or terminate the comment that caused the problem.

file space full or
unable to save file

You have used up all of your allocated space in your account. If you get this message from SAS, the file is actually created, but it will be empty. Remove it as well as old files you don't need to get more space.

invalid SAS name

A dataset or variable name is longer than 8 characters, starts with a number, or contains characters other than letters, numbers, and underscores.

Other SAS problems

dataset is created, but procedures don't execute

Usually caused by not putting the necessary run; statement as the last line of the program.

titles come out in the wrong places

When you create a title, SAS will put that title on each procedure until you make a new title. To get rid of a title, write an empty title statement:
TITLE;

Printed output broken across pages

Caused by using the wrong page size. You must not change the SAS pagesize to be greater than 56 lines. Plots may be increased to take up one sheet of paper with the program statement:
options ps=55;