Macro version management done right 

in SAS LSAF (and other SAS environments)

By Caro Sluijter


SAS LSAF offers embedded versioning for files. Versioning allows you to look into the history of a file and see what changed over time. While this is a powerful functionality, it is not suited for version management of standard macros.

Statistical programmers distinguish various levels for standard macros, such as study and general macros. General macros can be copied into studies to become a study macros, while the general macros remain available for other studies. New versions of general macros may be developed, but ongoing studies should not be affected by the changes made. LSAF versioning functionality alone doesn’t offer you the control that you need.

We propose a straightforward method that provides full control over macro versions used in your projects. This method uses a single configuration file and a protected location for your production macros. While designed for SAS LSAF, this approach can be leveraged into other SAS environments, including SCEs from other vendors.