SAS to JMP....Will I Get What I Need?

[#1]

Hello

I have Base SAS 9.3 with Enterprise Guide and I've written quite a few programs in SAS code.  Mostly I manipulate data from importing, change/create new fields, export to another medium like MS-Access.  I link onto the MS-Access data via Crystal Reports and use that for my reporting.

I currently have SAS through my employer but I pay the yearly license fees.  However, I'm a contract employee and every year I worry that if the contract is not renewed, that I lose access to SAS which I use for the calculation of so many metrics.

I realize I am not using SAS to even a miniscule amount of its capabilities but purchasing a version for my own use, plus the huge license fees yearly (which would be 4 x the license fees I'm paying now) is just too pricey so I need to look for something else.

So I'm looking to JMP and just wondering:

• can I use my current SAS program in JMP?
• can anyone describe the differences of the two programs?
• from what I've read the visual analytics are quite good so perhaps I wouldn't need other software for reporting?

I welcome any comments about JMP from you, the users.  I'd also be interested to know if you looked at other statistical software like SPSS and why you chose JMP over that?

Thanks so much.

[#2]

You could use SAS for reporting instead of Crystal Reports directly, it can create some fancy stuff if you're interested. 

I think the SAS license in Canada as a consultant is about $10K the first year and $5K the second but don't hold me to that. As a contractor I would consider a cost of doing business, but its definitely high.  Actually, its part of the reason I don't consult more on the side, I don't have access to SAS besides at work.

Other options:

WPS: rip off of SAS. I have ethical reasons for not going with them. Its basically SAS but they didn't do the research or most of the work, just an implementation. 

R: Totally different language.

Python: I'd recommend this language. I think its going to go far and there's a ton of resources and user groups out there around it and it has good packages attached. It does not create pretty reports as far as I know. 

Most of the clinical stuff could also be done with a basic SQL package such as MySQL as well. 

[#3]

Hi Reeza

As for SAS or even EG, I know there are reporting capabilities, I just haven't researched them much!  As indicated I use SAS for the analytics part in replicating complicated methodologies used by the various healthcare organizations i.e. CIHI, Ontario Ministry of Health etc.  The other good thing about having SAS is that it is the software used by most of these agencies so sometimes they will even share their code.

But I just cannot afford it and because I use SAS for work with other customers outside the contract (with full knowledge and permission of the client who I have SAS through), I can't have a situation where I lose access to it and then can't provide to the other customers.

Reeza, you responded to the JMP query..do you use JMP?

[#4]

So I'm looking to JMP and just wondering:

• can I use my current SAS program in JMP?

No, sort of.  You can still call your SAS programs from within JMP, but you would need a SAS license to do that.  Kind of defeats your purpose.  If you only had a JMP license you would need to rewrite your programs in JSL (JMP Script Language).

• can anyone describe the differences of the two programs?

My take: JMP is more interactive, easier to use, and has a great programming language (JSL).  SAS is more accepted in the healthcare industry, and can analyze much larger datasets without sneezing.  I believe that SAS has more statistical routines than JMP.  I've programmed in both, and find JSL to be much easier to program in than base SAS.  This has been mitigated somewhat by Enterprise Guide though.

• from what I've read the visual analytics are quite good so perhaps I wouldn't need other software for reporting?

If you are producing nicely formatted tabular output using Crystal Reports, that's not a strength of JMP.  You can produce tables but the formatting abilities are primitive compared to CR.

I welcome any comments about JMP from you, the users.  I'd also be interested to know if you looked at other statistical software like SPSS and why you chose JMP over that?

In my (humble) opinion, the interactivity of JMP and its extensibility through JSL puts it ahead of other statistical packages.

If your budget is minimal you might consider R, which is free.  There is a large amount of R code available.

[#5]

Hi

Thank you so much for your comments PMRoz, they were very helpful.

I briefly looked at the JMP information but I can't get a sense that I can manipulate the data i.e. arrays and variables etc.  What about do loops?

EDIT:

Budget is an issue when we're talking $10,000 for the software and 38% of that cost per year for a license.  But JMP (not Pro) is 1/5 the price so that's why I'm considering it.  Of course I also thought I could use SAS scripts but thanks for pointing out that I really can't.

[#6]

I briefly looked at the JMP information but I can't get a sense that I can manipulate the data i.e. arrays and variables etc.  What about do loops?

JMP has all that and more.  There are lists for character arrays, and matrices for numeric arrays (1D, 2D).  There are for loops, while loops, if then else.  There are very powerful data reformatting commands such as SPLIT and STACK. 

Check out the online documentation for JMP 11 Scripting.

[#7]

That's all with the caveat that its a different language, so any macros or programs need to be rebuilt.