SCL lists are ordered collections of data stored in memory, and are a powerful tool for applications developers. The sources of this data can include hard coded values, SAS data sets, information retrieved from interaction with the application user or the current SAS session, or the FRAME entry's objects themselves. This paper explores how to create and populate SCL lists, how to retrieve and utilize information from lists, how to manipulate lists, and how to access some of the lists associated with FRAME entry objects. An assortment of ideas for using SCL lists will be suggested, as well.

Lisa Horwitz is Regional Training Center Manager of the New York office of SAS Institute. During her 12 years in the Professional Services Division, she has taught courses and worked closely with SAS users on technical projects. Her areas of specialty include applications development and the macro language. Lisa is a frequent speaker at local and regional Users Group meetings and at SUGI.

Do some of your jobs have to run overnight? Have you ever been yelled at for using too much computer time or disk space? Is your daily production job already taking 23 hours to run, and it's growing? Do you know what a Cartesian Product is? Do some of your programs never work on all your data?

We will suggest here an approach to SAS(R) programming that will minimize some of these problems. We will follow up with a series of specific techniques which can be incorporated into all your programs. We will finish with tips for some of those special problems which do not easily lend themselves standard practices. We will acknowledge --- but not dwell on indexing, compression, nor the SAS stored program facility --- as these have been successfully presented elsewhere.

John Cohen is a tactical business analyst supporting the Sales and Marketing Departments at Zeneca Pharmaceuticals. A SAS user since 1980, he will be co- chair of the Information Visualization Section at NESUG '98 in Pittsburgh and is actively recruiting papers.

MDDBs (MultiDimensional Databases) are 'in' and SAS Institute is now offering MDDB software as a new product line. What exactly is an MDDB? Is there a simple explanation? The structure of an MDDB is not as complex as it might seem at first glance. This paper will discuss the structure of MDDBs as well as their uses. Access options and functionality will be covered In addition, a short, personal overview of the pros and cons of this storage technique will be offered.

Data Warehousing is in the forefront of technology today. Those facilities with large amounts of data which require easy access may find MDDBs of great use. This storage mechanism provides a means to save summarized data in an efficient format while other SAS products provide a front end to this information.

Marge Scerbo is Senior Analyst at the Center for Health Programming and Development at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. This group was established as the state's policy and research arm for the Maryland Medicaid system. SAS has been a major part of her life for the past many years (double digits now!). Marge has participated in local, regional and international user groups as an organizer and speaker.