SAS/GRAPH Software: Reference

About the Output Files Generated for the Web

If you use SAS/GRAPH to generate Web output, the output must include at least one HTML file and one GIF file. The HTML file contains the HTML language elements required to view the output in a Web browser, and the GIF file contains the graphics output. One of the elements in the HTML file is an <IMG> tag, which identifies the location and name of the GIF file. For example, this tag references an image named barchart.gif, which resides in the same location as the HTML file (because no other location is indicated):

<IMG SRC="barchart.gif">

How an HTML File References a GIF File shows the relationship between the HTML file's <IMG> tag and the GIF file.

How an HTML File References a GIF File

[IMAGE]

To view this Web output, use a Web browser to view the HTML file, which automatically displays the GIF file that is referenced by the <IMG> tag. When you view the HTML file, you cannot tell that the graphic is not part of the HTML file because the <IMG> tag pulls it into the browser.

If the output files are located in your file system, users with access to that file system can directly open the HTML file. If the output files are located on a Web server, users with Internet access to the World Wide Web can access the HTML file through its uniform resource locator (URL).

Specifying Output Locations for HTML and GIF Files

When you use the HTML or WEBFRAME device drivers, or when you use SAS/GRAPH with ODS, SAS/GRAPH creates all of the HTML and GIF files you need to view the output. In these cases, you must specify a location in your file system where you want the output files to be stored. This location must be an aggregate file storage location (for example, a directory or PDS); it cannot be a file.

When you use the HTML or WEBFRAME device drivers, or when you use SAS/GRAPH with ODS, the following alternatives are available for specifying the output location for the HTML and GIF files:

Let SAS/GRAPH create all files in the default location. This is the easiest alternative and might be the best choice if you plan to move the files after they are created. For example, you might move them from your local file system to a Web server. The location that SAS/GRAPH uses as a default depends on the approach you use to generate the Web output:

Output from HTML or WEBFRAME Driver Output from ODS

The driver creates an aggregate file storage location named sasgraph. The sasgraph location is created under the storage location where the SAS session was started. In most operating environments, the default location is the storage location where the SAS session was started.

When you use the default output location, be sure to start the SAS session where you want to store the HTML and GIF files.

Output from HTML or WEBFRAME Driver	Output from ODS
The driver creates an aggregate file storage location named sasgraph. The sasgraph location is created under the storage location where the SAS session was started.	In most operating environments, the default location is the storage location where the SAS session was started.

Use a FILENAME statement to define a fileref that points to the storage location where you want to create the files. The advantage of using a FILENAME statement is that you can specify it at the top of your program, and then assign the fileref in multiple locations in the program. To redirect all the output that goes to that fileref, you only have to redefine the location on the FILENAME statement.

A fileref that defines the location of Web output must point to an aggregate file storage location. The following FILENAME statement defines the fileref outfiles:

filename outfiles 'path-to-Web-server-space';

After defining the fileref, you can use it as needed to direct the output files. The place to specify it depends on the approach you use to generate the Web output:

Output from HTML or WEBFRAME Driver Output from ODS

You can specify the fileref on the GSFNAME= graphics option:
goptions gsfname=outfiles;
Specify the fileref on the ODS HTML statement's PATH= or GPATH= options. To direct all files to the same location, use only PATH=. To direct the HTML files to one location and the GIF files to another, use both PATH= and GPATH=.
The following specification directs all ODS output to the same location:
ods html body='myfile.htm' path=outfiles;

Specify the full location (not a fileref) directly in the ODS HTML statement's PATH= or GPATH= options (available only when using ODS). This approach might be best for directing to different locations the output from multiple procedures. The following shows the syntax:
```
ods html body='myfile.htm'
         path='path-to-Web-server-space';
```

Output from HTML or WEBFRAME Driver	Output from ODS
You can specify the fileref on the GSFNAME= graphics option: goptions gsfname=outfiles;	Specify the fileref on the ODS HTML statement's PATH= or GPATH= options. To direct all files to the same location, use only PATH=. To direct the HTML files to one location and the GIF files to another, use both PATH= and GPATH=. The following specification directs all ODS output to the same location: ods html body='myfile.htm' path=outfiles;

Naming Conventions Used for HTML Files

The names that are assigned to HTML files depend on the approach you use to generate the Web output.

Output from HTML or WEBFRAME Driver Output from ODS

You cannot specify a name for the HTML files. Both drivers always create a file named index.html, which is the file that should be viewed in the browser.
With the HTML driver, index.html is the only HTML file that is created. With the WEBFRAME driver, additional HTML files are created, which the driver also names.
The HTML files always replace the HTML files from previous procedure runs, unless the output is directed to a different location.
You assign file names for the HTML files you want created. You assign the names on the BODY=, CONTENTS=, PAGE=, and FRAME= options.
While the HTML destination is open, each specified HTML file remains open and additional output is appended to the file, until you open an alternative file for the output type or close the HTML destination. If you run the program again at another time without changing the file names specified, the output from the current program run replaces the output from the previous program run.

Output from HTML or WEBFRAME Driver	Output from ODS
You cannot specify a name for the HTML files. Both drivers always create a file named index.html, which is the file that should be viewed in the browser. With the HTML driver, index.html is the only HTML file that is created. With the WEBFRAME driver, additional HTML files are created, which the driver also names. The HTML files always replace the HTML files from previous procedure runs, unless the output is directed to a different location.	You assign file names for the HTML files you want created. You assign the names on the BODY=, CONTENTS=, PAGE=, and FRAME= options. While the HTML destination is open, each specified HTML file remains open and additional output is appended to the file, until you open an alternative file for the output type or close the HTML destination. If you run the program again at another time without changing the file names specified, the output from the current program run replaces the output from the previous program run.

Naming Conventions Used for GIF Files

When you use SAS/GRAPH to generate Web output, the graphs produced in the program are always saved in two formats: GRSEG catalog entries and GIF files. In all cases, the GIF file names are always derived from the catalog entry names of the corresponding graphs.

For example, you can use a procedure's NAME= option to assign a name of up to eight characters to the catalog entry. If you assign the name MYGRAPH to the catalog entry, SAS/GRAPH names the GIF file mygraph.gif. If you do not use NAME=, SAS/GRAPH names the entry with the first eight characters of the procedure name, for example, GCHART, in which case SAS/GRAPH names the GIF file gchart.gif. (For more information on catalog entry names, see Names and Descriptions of Catalog Entries.)

SAS/GRAPH does not replace existing GRSEG entries when a procedure creates a new entry of the same name. Rather, it adds a number to the duplicate name to make it unique. For example, if you use a procedure's NAME= option to name an entry MYGRAPH and an entry named MYGRAPH already exists in the output catalog, SAS/GRAPH names the new entry MYGRAPH1, and then names the GIF file mygraph1.gif. Catalog entry names are limited to eight characters, so if the duplicate name has eight characters, SAS/GRAPH replaces the final character with the added number.

To replace an existing catalog entry, your program must first use the GREPLAY procedure to delete the existing catalog. For example, assume the output catalog is the WORK catalog, and that you use BY-group processing on the GCHART procedure to run a program that generates three catalog entries that are named with the default names GCHART, GCHART1, and GCHART2. To run the same program and ensure that the catalog entries receive the same names, you must first run the following GREPLAY procedure to delete the three existing catalog entries before generating the new entries that have the same names:

proc greplay nofs;
   delete gchart gchart1 gchart2;

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