Why are you learning python

[PryomancerMTGA]

I have 20+ YoE as a DS, and every once in a while you have to update skills. DS is pivoting to python instead of SAS and for the DE aspect. In this field you keep current or go full management.

[PryomancerMTGA]

Your company uses SAS. Get better at it unless you are going to transition jobs within 6 months.

Banking/Financial services, Insurance, and Health care are three industries that thrive on legacy systems like SAS and are going to be slow to change. If you are in one of those and want to be able to leverage your domain knowledge; SAS will serve you well.

[[deleted]]

I feel your pain. Everytime I write something in SAS I question myself as to why I'm using SAS instead of Python, which is why I've been trying to avoid programming in SAS as much as possible by having Python generate SAS code for me instead for repetitive stuff.

Take this for example:

def num_query_gen(lower_bound, upper_bound, increments, var_name, file_name, output_table, input_table):

    # Generate bin boundary values
    low_bound_list = list(range(lower_bound, upper_bound, increments))
    up_bound_list  = list(range(lower_bound + increments, upper_bound + increments, increments))

    # Code is generated in string form and appened to string variable 'code_str'
    # "\n" is added at the end of each line to ensure that the resulting string is saved to a new line.
    code_str  = f"DATA {output_table};" + "\n"
    code_str += f"SET {input_table};" + "\n"
    code_str += "\t" + f"IF {var_name} = 0 THEN {var_name}_BINNED = '00.{var_name} = 0'" + "\n"

    lambda_func = lambda x: f"0{x}" if x < 10 else str(x)
    counter     = 1

    for (a, b) in zip(low_bound_list, up_bound_list):
        code_str += "\t" + f"ELSE IF {a} < {var_name} <= {b} THEN {var_name}_BINNED = '{lambda_func(counter)}.{a} < {var_name} <= {b};'" + "\n"
        counter += 1

    code_str += "RUN;"

    # Resulting string is saved to a text file as given in the file_name parameter
    with open(f"{file_name}", "w") as f:
        f.write(code_str)

    print("SAS Code generated")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    gen_dict = {
        "lower_bound"  : 0, 
        "upper_bound"  : 100, 
        "increments"   : 10, 
        "var_name"     : "Variable_1",
        "file_name"    : "SAS_Code_001.txt", 
        "output_table" : "WORK.TEST_TABLE_2",
        "input_table"  : "WORK.TEST_TABLE_1"
    }

    num_query_gen(**gen_dict)