SAS Visual Analytics 7.

5: Getting
®

Started with Reports

About This Document

Audience
This document covers the basics of how to build reports and explore data using SAS Visual Analytics. The
emphasis is on introductory instructions, how-to hints, and quick reference information.

Prerequisites
If you choose to perform the tasks in this document, you need the following software, information, and privileges:
n a link to a working deployment of SAS Visual Analytics 7.5

n a supported web browser (see the SAS support site for supported versions)

n an account that can log on to the working deployment

n the ReadMetadata and Read permissions for at least one LASR table (without the necessary permissions,
you cannot select a data source or access data)
n reporting capabilities (without the necessary capabilities, you cannot see certain user interface elements)

n access to data sources that can be used to obtain data for reports

Note: SAS Visual Statistics requires a separate license.

System Requirements
Detailed system requirements, including support for additional web browsers, are available on the SAS support
site.
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Introduction

Reporting
Reporting encompasses design, data selection, report actions (such as filters, links, and linked selections), and
viewing (in web and native mobile device formats).
SAS Visual Analytics is intuitive and responsive, even for extremely large data sources. It gives you everything
you need to produce and distribute clear and compelling reports. Here are the various interfaces:
n SAS Visual Analytics enables you to select data, create reports, email report and object links to users, and
print reports and objects to PDF.
n SAS Graph Builder (the graph builder) enables users to create custom graph objects, which can be made
available in SAS Visual Analytics for use in reports and dashboards.
n SAS Visual Analytics Viewer (the report viewer) enables users to view and interact with reports using a web
browser.
n SAS Visual Analytics App enables mobile device users to view and interact with reports.

Note: If SAS Visual Statistics is licensed at your site, then analytical models are available. For more information
about getting started with modeling and prediction variable generation, see SAS Visual Analytics: Getting
Started with Analytical Models.

Start SAS Visual Analytics

If you are using another SAS application (for example, SAS Home), you can access SAS Visual Analytics from
the side menu. Click in the upper left of the page, and then click Report Builder. Here is an example of what
you might see in the side menu:

Sign Out of SAS Visual Analytics

Use the application bar to sign out of SAS Visual Analytics. Click the user name button, and then click Sign out.
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The SAS Visual Analytics Interface

There is one interface in which you design reports, explore data, and run interactive, predictive models in SAS
Visual Analytics. Note that the models require a separate license for SAS Visual Statistics, which is an add-on to
SAS Visual Analytics.

1 The application bar enables you to access other SAS applications. You can search for items, access help,
update your settings, and sign out of SAS Visual Analytics.
2 The menu bar displays the report name; enables you to undo, redo, and save; and access other menu
options.
3 The left pane enables you to work with data, add objects, view and add suggested objects, and use the
report outline to organize your content.
4 The canvas is the workspace for building a report. The appearance of the canvas is affected by the report
theme. A report can have multiple pages.
5 The right pane enables you to work with details about the report, its pages, and its objects.
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Create and View a Report

Create a Report
1 From SAS Home, click in the application bar. Using the side menu, click Report Builder. SAS Visual
Analytics opens.

2 Click New in the Welcome to SAS Visual Analytics window.

3 On the left side of the canvas, click Objects.

TIP Click to keep a pane displayed while you work on your report. A box around the pin indicates
that the pane is pinned.

4 Drag and drop a bar chart onto the canvas.

5 Add data.

a Click Data (on the left side of the canvas).

Use the Open Data Source window to select a data source. Click OK.

b Drag and drop a category ( ) from the Data pane onto the bar chart.
A category has alphanumeric, date, datetime, time, and numeric values that can be used as discrete
groupings. For example, the values in a product category might include shoes and belts.

c Drag and drop a measure ( ) from the Data pane onto the bar chart.
A measure has numeric values. For example, the values in a sales measure might specify the quantity of
units sold.

6 Replace the previous measure.

a Right-click the measure label on the canvas, and select Replace data-item-name.

b Use the Replace Data Item window to select a new measure.

7 Click in the upper right to save the report.

In the Save As window, select My Folder, and enter the file name. Click Save.

8 In the upper left corner, click , and then select Home.

9 In SAS Home, notice that the saved report is in the Recent tile.

View a Report
You can view SAS Visual Analytics reports using either the SAS Visual Analytics Viewer (the report viewer) or
the SAS Visual Analytics Apps. Here are ways to view a report:
n To view a report that you are currently editing, click , and then select View report. Your report is displayed
in the report viewer. For more information about the report viewer, see SAS Visual Analytics: Viewer
Documentation.
n To open a report from SAS Home, click in the Recent tile to open the object inspector, and then click View.
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n To open a report on a mobile device, launch the SAS Visual Analytics App, connect to a server, navigate to
the report, and open it. Instructions vary by device. See the SAS Visual Analytics Apps documentation and
videos on SAS support site.
Note: The SAS Visual Analytics Apps are available from Apple App store, Google Play, and Microsoft Store.

Tasks

Overview of Tasks
The following topics highlight the core functionality of SAS Visual Analytics. For most tasks, there are multiple
ways to begin. Here, one way to initiate each task is documented. If you ever get stuck or have questions, some
of the text right inside the interface might help.

TIP For comprehensive instructions, access Help from the application bar or see the SAS Visual Analytics
page on the SAS support site.

Samples are available. When an administrator configures the samples, the following objects are included:
n sample tables

n sample reports

The samples are located in the /Products/SAS Visual Analytics/Samples folder.

Availability of Tasks
What you can do depends on several factors:
n Your capabilities (for example, if you do not have export capabilities, the export options are not available to
you).
n Your location in SAS Visual Analytics (for example, some application features are available only if SAS Visual
Statistics is licensed at your site).
n The currently selected object (for example, list tables do not have ranges).

n Whether data has been defined (for example, you must add a data source before you can define filters).

n Whether a data item is already in use (for example, you cannot change a data item’s role while it is
incorporated in a bar chart as a category).

Data Tasks
In general, data-related tasks are initiated from the left panes.
Here are some common tasks completed using the Data pane:

Data Task How to Initiate

Add another data source. In the Data pane, click , and then select Add data source.

Change a data source for a report. In the Data pane, click , and then select Change data-source-
name.
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Data Task How to Initiate

Create a distinct count from a category. In the Data pane, right-click on a category (or date) data item, and then
select New calculation. Name the new calculation, and then click OK to
accept the default Distinct count type.

Change the format of a measure, date, or In the Data pane, click to the right of the data item.
numeric category.

Create a new custom category. In the Data pane, click New data item, and then select Custom
category.

Create a hierarchy for drill-down functionality. In the Data pane, click New data item, and then select Hierarchy.

Hide a data item. In the Data pane, click , and then select Show or hide data items.
Alternatively, right-click a data item, and then select Hide.

Create a custom sort. In the Data pane, right-click on a category data item, and then select
Custom sort.

Exclude a subset of data from the entire data In the Data pane, click , and then select Apply data source filter.
source.

Get basic statistics about all measures. In the Data pane, click , and then select View measure details.

Get additional statistics about a particular In the Data pane, click , and then select View measure details.
measure.
Select the measure to view its details.

Change the data source for the current report. In the Data pane, click , and then select Change data-source-
name. Select a new data source.

Show multiple aggregations (or multiple In the Data pane, right-click a data item, select Duplicate, and then
formats) for a data item. change the aggregation or format for the duplicate data item.

Create a geography data item. In the Data pane, click New data item, and then select Geography
item. In the New Geography Item window, specify a name, the
geography data type, and name or code context.

Create the percentage of total for a measure. In the Data pane, right-click a measure (with a current default
aggregation of Sum or Count), and then select New calculation.
For Type, select Percent of total - Sum.

Here are other common data-related tasks that can be completed using other panes on the left side or menus in
the user interface:

Data Task How to Initiate

Insert an object (such as a table, graph, or Drag and drop the object from the Objects pane onto the canvas.
gauge).

Specify which objects are displayed in the At the top of the Objects pane, click , and then select Show or hide
Objects pane. objects.
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Data Task How to Initiate

Specify the order of the objects in the Objects At the top of the Objects pane, click , and select Sort objects. Then,
pane. select Name or Recent.
To change the order of the object groups, click , and select Reorder
object groups. If you want to remove the object groups, click , and
select Show object groups.

Display a geo map with a bubble plot overlay, From Graphs list in the Objects pane, drag and drop a geo map onto
coordinates, or colored regions. the canvas.
Use the Options pane to specify the map type (Bubbles, Coordinates,
or Regions). From the Data pane, drag a geography data item onto the
map.

View suggestions for objects based on the Open the Suggestions pane. Select an object, and then drag and drop it
data that you selected in the Data pane. onto the canvas.

Work with pages and objects in your report. Open the Outline pane. Add, rename, and hide or unhide a page. Move
objects from one page to another.

Toggle automatically updating the report after Click in the menu bar, and then select Disable auto-refresh. To
each change. enable, select Enable auto-refresh.

Export data from an object to a Microsoft Excel Click the object, select , and then select Export data.
workbook, tab-separated format, or comma-
separated format.

Presentation Tasks
In general, presentation-related tasks are initiated from the right panes. Some presentation tasks can be
completed using the page, the menu bar, or an object’s toolbar. Here are some common presentation-related
tasks:

Presentation Task How to Initiate

Undo or redo changes to your In the menu bar, click to undo a change, or click to redo a change.
report.

Add a new page to a report. At the top of the canvas, click .

Hide a page. Click on the page tab, and then select Hide page.
In the report viewer, hidden pages are not displayed as tabs. When a user double-
clicks data that is associated with a hidden page, the hidden page is displayed in a
new window.

Maximize an object on the canvas Right-click an object on the canvas, and select Maximize view.
and view details about it.
While an object is maximized, you cannot make changes to the layout of the report,
add objects, or modify data items in the Data pane. You can make changes to a
maximized object using the right panes (for example, options, roles, and actions).

Add a trend line to a list table. In a table, right-click a column, and then select Add sparkline. (The data source
must include a date data item.)
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Presentation Task How to Initiate

Add cell graph to a list table or a Right-click a column or column heading containing a measure data item, and select
crosstab. Add cell graph. Then, select Bar or Heat map.

Change a bar chart’s orientation. Select the bar chart, and then click Options. In the Bar section, specify Direction.

Change an object’s colors or Select the object, and then click Options. In the Style section, specify your style
styles. options.

Set up report-level conditional Ensure that no object is selected, and then click Rules. Click New rule, select a
highlighting. color, and then enter a value.

Set up object-level conditional Select the object, and then click Rules. Click New rule, and then select a data item
highlighting. on which to base the display rule.

Set up interactive filters (prompts). Click on the page tab, and then select Expand page controls.
From the Objects pane, drag and drop a control object (for example, a button bar)
onto the revealed drop zone at the top of the page.
Then, from the Roles pane, select a category data item for the control object.

Set up interactive actions (where Select an object on the canvas.

an action on one object affects
In the Actions pane, expand Object Links, and then select the check box for the
other objects).
object that you want to filter.
To see a graphical representation of the filter (which you can edit), click View
Diagram at the top of the Actions pane.

Display totals for list tables. Select the list table, and then click Options. In the Totals section, select Totals.

Display totals and subtotals for Select the crosstab, and then click Options. In the Totals and Subtotals section,
crosstabs. select the type (Rows and Columns, Rows, or Columns) and the formatting.

Create basic or advanced filters. Select an object, click Filters, and then click New filter.
Select a data item or Advanced filter.

Create links to reports. Select an object, and then click Actions. Expand Report Links, and then click New
Report Link.

Create links to pages. Select an object, and then click Actions. Expand Page Links.

Create links to external URLs. Select an object, and then click Actions. Expand URL Links, and then click New
URL Link.

Rank values. Select an object, click Ranks, click New rank, and then select a data item on which
to base the rank.

Access a recently opened report. Click in the menu bar, select Recent items, and then select the report from the
list.

Email a link to the report. Click in the menu bar, and then select Share report ð Email.

Save an image of an object as a Right-click an object, select Save image.

PNG.

Share a link to an object. Right-click an object, and then click Share object.
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Presentation Task How to Initiate

Print reports. Click in the menu bar, and then select Print.

Print an object. Right-click an object, and then click Print object.

Distribute reports on a schedule. Click in the menu bar, and then select Distribute reports.

Delete a report. Delete a report from the Open window.

Click in the menu bar, and then select Open.
Select the report that you want to delete, and then click .

Quick Reference

Data Sources
Reports (and each page within a report) can have multiple data sources.
Data that is used for reports must be loaded into memory on the SAS LASR Analytic Server. In addition to
loading SAS data sets, you can load other data that is accessible to a SAS/ACCESS engine and import local
Excel files, tab-separated values (TSV) files, or comma-separated values (CSV) files.

Anatomy of a Report
A report’s content can include the following types of objects:
n Objects that display data or results, such as tables and graphs.

n Objects that provide static content, including images (for example, a logo) and text (for example, a link to a
web page).
n Objects that enable viewers to interact with a report (these objects are called controls).

A report’s structure is provided by pages and containers:

n Pages let you separate content. Report designers and report viewers can see the contents of only one page
at a time.
n A container groups objects within a page. Containers can hold more content than what fits on the screen.
Precision containers can be used to place, align, size, and overlap objects. Prompt containers are used to
group prompt controls. A scrolling container has a scrollable space, a stack container displays objects as if
they were in a slide deck, and a standard container lays out content horizontally or vertically. Report
designers and report viewers can use the scroll bar or control bar in the report to see additional content.

Gallery
This is an illustrated guide of the basic object types that are available.
Note: The appearance and functionality of an object is affected by the underlying data and the styles that you
apply.
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Tables

Crosstab
A crosstab shows an aggregate metric for the intersections of two or more categories.
In a crosstab, categories are typically displayed in both the columns and the rows. Each cell value represents
the aggregated measure from the intersection of the categories in the cell’s row and column.
A crosstab uses less space than a traditional table and is easier to read because data is grouped both
horizontally and vertically. A crosstab can use a hierarchy. Frequency is displayed when there are no measures
in the crosstab.

List Table
A list table is a two-dimensional representation of data. A list table cannot use a hierarchy.
List tables contain aggregated data (unless the Detail data option is selected). You can add sparklines to a
column (if the data source contains a date data item) when aggregated data is displayed in the list table. You
can add a cell graph (either a bar chart or a heat map) to a column in a list table if the data source contains at
least one measure data item.

Graphs, Charts, and Plots

Bar Chart
A bar chart displays bars that represent quantitative data.
You can apply grouping and create lattices.
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Box Plot
A box plot displays the distribution of values for a single measure. The size and location of the box indicate the
range of values that are between the 25th and 75th percentile. The whiskers usually indicate the minimum and
maximum of all data values, but can represent other ranges.
You can create lattices and specify whether the average value and outliers are displayed.

Bubble Change Plot

A bubble change plot displays the difference between two sets of measures.

Bubble Plot
A bubble plot displays the relationships among at least three measures. Two measures are represented by the
plot axes, and the third measure is represented by the size of the plot markers. Each bubble represents an
observation.
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Butterfly Chart
A butterfly chart compares two measures for a category of values.

Comparative Time Series Plot

A comparative time series plot displays two measures on different scales over time.

Correlation Matrix
A correlation matrix displays the degree of correlation between measures as rectangular cells. Each cell in the
matrix represents the intersection of two measures. The color of the cell indicates the degree of correlation
between those two measures.
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Dot Plot
A dot plot displays the data for each value of a category.

Dual Axis Bar Chart

A dual axis bar chart displays two measures. The two measures in a dual axis bar chart have separate Y axes.
Two bars are displayed for each distinct value of the categorical variable.

Dual Axis Bar-Line Chart

A dual axis bar-line chart displays two measures. The two measures in a dual axis bar-line chart have separate
Y axes. One bar is displayed for each distinct value of the categorical variable and a line chart is laid over the
bar chart.
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Dual Axis Line Chart

A dual axis time series plot displays two measures. The two measures in a dual axis time series plot have
separate Y axes.

Dual Axis Time Series Plot

A dual axis time series plot displays two measures, on the left side and right side of the Y axis.

Gauge
A gauge is a dashboard indicator that compares an actual value to a target value. The type of gauge is specified
in the object’s options.
Several types of gauges are available:
Bullet
compares an actual value to a target value. The target value is indicated by a line and the actual value is
indicated by a bar.
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Dial
compares an actual value to a target value. The target value is indicated by a small black arrow pointing
inward. The actual value is indicated by a large arrow pointing outward.

Slider
compares an actual value to a target value. The target value is indicated by a small black arrow. The actual
value is indicated by a large arrow.

Speedometer
compares an actual value to a target value. The target value is indicated by a small white triangle. The actual
value is indicated by a black pointer.
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Thermometer
compares an actual value to a target value. The target value is indicated by a line. The actual value is
indicated by the background bar.

Geo Map
A geo map overlays your data on a geographic map. The type of geo map is specified in the object’s options.
You can display your data by using the following types of maps:
Bubbles
displays data as bubbles that are overlaid on a geographic map. Each bubble is located at a geographic
location or at the center of a geographical region.

Coordinates
is a scatter plot that is overlaid on a geographic map. Each point is located at a geographic location or at the
center of a geographical region.
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Regions
displays data as colored regions (and is also known as a choropleth map). You can fill geographical
boundaries (for example, a country or a state) on a map with color, based on measure values that are
aggregated to the level defined by a geographical boundary.

Heat Map
A heat map displays the distribution of values for two data items by using a grid of colored cells.

Histogram
A histogram displays the distribution of values for a single measure.
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You can specify whether the values are displayed as a percentage or as a count.

Key Value
A key value displays a single aggregated value for a measure, a category, or both.

Line Chart
A line chart shows the relationship of one variable to another. Line charts support grouping, lattices, and time
series.

Needle Plot
A needle plot displays data points that connect to a horizontal baseline. The baseline intersects the 0 value or
the minimum value on the vertical axis.
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Numeric Series Plot

A numeric series plot shows the relationship of two or more measures.

Pie Chart
A pie chart displays sections that represent the relative contribution of each part to the whole.

Scatter Plot
A scatter plot displays the values of measures using markers. When you apply more than two measures, the
object displays a scatter plot matrix. A scatter plot matrix is a series of scatter plots that display every possible
pairing of the measures that are applied to the plot.
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Schedule Chart
A schedule chart displays the duration of events.

Step Plot
A step plot displays the point on the X axis when a change in the Y-axis measure occurs.

Targeted Bar Chart

A targeted bar chart is a bar chart that displays target values. In this example, the pointers appear above each
bar.
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Time Series Plot

A time series plot displays a sequence of values observed at equally spaced time intervals.

Treemap
A treemap displays data as a set of rectangular tiles (and is also known as a tile chart). Each tile represents a
category or a hierarchy node. The color of each tile represents the value of the first measure. The size of each
tile represents the value of the second measure.
For example, a facility expense treemap might have tile sizes that represent the number of employees and tile
colors that represent the amount spent.

Vector Plot
A vector plot displays the change in data by using line segments or vectors to represent both direction and
magnitude.
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Waterfall Chart
A waterfall chart (also known as a progressive bar chart) displays how incremental changes lead to the final
value of the measure.
The first bar begins at the initial value, and each subsequent bar begins where the previous bar ends. The
length and direction of a bar indicate the magnitude and type of change (positive or negative).

Word Cloud
A word cloud displays a set of category values as text. The size of each word in the cloud can indicate either the
frequency of that word or the value of a measure. The color of each word can indicate the value of a measure.

SAS Home
After you sign in to SAS Visual Analytics using the standard sign-in window for SAS applications, you will see
SAS Home. SAS Home enables you to access SAS Visual Analytics. In addition, it enables you to access
content that you and others have created. For more information, see SAS Home Documentation.
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Where to Find Additional Documentation

The most current technical resources for SAS Visual Analytics are available from the SAS Visual Analytics page
on the SAS support site.
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SAS® and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or
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brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright © 2019, SAS
Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA. All Rights Reserved. May 2019 7.5-P1:vareportsgs
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