Author SHA1 Message Date
allan 59f169e32d Merge pull request 'ci(publish): deploy with @cloudron/surfer 7 and an app password' (#30) from ci/surfer-app-password into main
publish / Build-and-publish (push) Successful in 4m16s
Reviewed-on: #30
2026-10-28 00:39:36 +00:00
allan 1a5338e876 Merge pull request 'blog(derived-variables): the re-framed stills, and no next-release promise' (#29) from site/derived-variables into main
publish / Build-and-publish (push) Failing after 4m2s
Reviewed-on: #29
Reviewed-by: Allan <allan@4gl.io>
2026-10-28 00:39:07 +00:00
dc bbb163c25c ci(publish): deploy with @cloudron/surfer 7 and an app password
The publish job used `npx surfer put --token` - the unscoped package, which
resolves to 0.0.2, and the v6 token flow, which Surfer no longer accepts.  Move
to @cloudron/surfer 7.2.0, pinned: username allan plus the per-app password in
the SURFER_PASSWORD secret, app datacontroller.io.

`deploy` rather than `put`: it tars the build, extracts to a staging folder and
swaps it in, so a failed upload leaves the current site serving, and it records
the build's ref and commit in the site history.  Also adds workflow_dispatch, so
a deploy can be run by hand without pushing to main.
2026-10-28 00:29:32 +00:00
allan 2c7a3b8465 Merge pull request 'feed(derived-variables): a teaser that links to the article' (#28) from site/derived-variables-feed into main
publish / Build-and-publish (push) Failing after 3m58s
Reviewed-on: #28
2026-10-28 00:22:48 +00:00
dc d37538264a feed(derived-variables): the cover is framed for a card, and the next-release line goes
The cover is the same capture as the article's grid still - 1024 CSS px at 2x,
clipped to the rows - so the derived columns are legible on the feed card rather
than a thumbnail of a mostly-empty page.  It also stops promising the next
release, which is about to be stale.
2026-10-28 00:15:57 +00:00
dc cd5eeafa08 blog(derived-variables): stills framed for the page, not the browser
Full-viewport 1920x900 captures leave most of the frame as empty grid canvas and
shrink the UI to a third of its CSS size when the post renders them at column
width - the thing is unreadable on a tablet.  Re-taken at 1024 CSS px, captured
at 2x device pixels for retina, and clipped to just below the data rows.

Availability also stops promising the next release.
2026-10-28 00:15:44 +00:00
allan 4ef2b5333a Merge pull request 'blog(derived-variables): computed columns you can filter on' (#27) from site/derived-variables into main
publish / Build-and-publish (push) Failing after 4m18s
Reviewed-on: #27
2026-10-28 00:05:01 +00:00
dc 3d2ec5869b feed(derived-variables): the announcement, not a second article
The feed post had grown to 800 words and retold everything the blog article
already covers.  Feed is for short announcements, so this is now 180 words: the
request every reporting team makes, the computed-against-locked marking, one
line on why a derived column can be filtered, then a link to the article and the
docs.  The inline screenshot goes with the detail, leaving the cover.
2026-10-28 00:03:22 +00:00
dc 6cabe6796a blog(derived-variables): the hook and a call to action
The opening was a second-hand request; it reads better as the request every
reporting team has.  The post also ended on the docs link with nothing to do
next, so it closes with the same invitation the other recent posts use.
2026-10-28 00:02:36 +00:00
dc ce479a2c51 blog(derived-variables): the images for the computed-column styling
The four screenshots were taken on the mocked estate before the EDIT grid
marked derived columns apart from ordinary read-only ones.  Re-taken against a
real SAS backend, so they show what ships: the fx badge, the tinted header and
cells, and the edge that opens the computed block.

The read-only sentence now says what the marking means, which is the one claim
the old images made ambiguously.
2026-10-27 23:57:27 +00:00
dc bc27894b38 feed(derived-variables): a column that is not in the table, and why filtering needed a view
A short, opinionated post for the feed: the request that always sounds like five
minutes, the marking that says a column is computed rather than locked, and the
DATA step view that makes a derived column filterable.  Links to the docs page
and to a discovery call.

Screenshots are from a real SAS backend, so the grid shown is the shipped one -
fx badge, tinted cells, and the edge that opens the computed block.
2026-10-27 23:53:13 +00:00
dc f38b5d795c blog(derived-variables): include the configuration table, full-page screenshots
Adds the MPE_DERIVED rows behind the three demo variables, and recaptures the
grid images at full page so the whole screen is in frame.
2026-10-21 15:10:22 +00:00
dc 67cf263ec5 blog(derived-variables): computed columns you can filter on
The feature post: why a computed column is not filterable in a single DATA
step, the view that makes it so, the MPE_DERIVED configuration, dependency
ordering by VAR_DEPS, and what the feature will not do. Three screenshots from
the EDIT screen - the grid, a filter on a character derived column, and a
filter on a numeric one.
2026-10-21 14:38:13 +00:00
allan db969f51b4 Merge pull request 'blog(two-rule-sets): remove the post, redirect to the docs Developer Guide' (#26) from site/redirect-two-rule-sets into main
publish / Build-and-publish (push) Successful in 3m42s
Reviewed-on: #26
2026-10-15 16:26:50 +00:00
dc 8d4a82f19a blog(two-rule-sets): remove the post, redirect to the docs Developer Guide
The post has moved to the docs site as a Developer Guide page:
https://docs.datacontroller.io/developer-guide/two-rule-sets-one-table/

- content/blog/two-rule-sets-one-table/ is removed (the images moved to the
  docs repo, where the page now lives).
- static/two-rule-sets-one-table/index.html keeps the old URL working with a
  client-side redirect to the new page, plus a canonical link and noindex.
  A static file at that path is served the same way the removed Gatsby page
  was (both are index.html under a directory).
2026-10-15 16:17:31 +00:00
allan cb072bf60a Merge pull request 'feed: add a customer story post with the Data Controller video' (#25) from feed/customer-story into main
publish / Build-and-publish (push) Successful in 3m50s
Reviewed-on: #25
2026-10-11 10:30:20 +00:00
blog-dev 365b178496 feed: add a customer story post with the Data Controller video 2026-10-11 10:12:26 +00:00
allan b75e0bb38e Merge pull request 'feed: add a support diagnostics post (browser_info, browser_url_vars)' (#24) from feed/support-diagnostics into main
publish / Build-and-publish (push) Successful in 4m1s
Reviewed-on: #24
2026-09-27 20:51:00 +00:00
blog-dev b61ec07c87 feed: a worked URL-parameter example for the hook read, and the generated cover 2026-09-27 20:47:51 +00:00
blog-dev 6469ad00a3 feed: add a support diagnostics post (browser_info, browser_url_vars) 2026-09-27 20:31:42 +00:00
allan ed20e0b982 Merge pull request 'feed: UTF-8 bullets on the cross-post copy, rollback in the standard features list' (#23) from feed/who-is-it-for-utf8 into main
publish / Build-and-publish (push) Successful in 3m54s
Reviewed-on: #23
Reviewed-by: Allan <allan@4gl.io>
2026-09-27 11:28:07 +00:00
blog-dev 42cf023efb feed: UTF-8 bullets on the LinkedIn copy, rollback in the standard features list
Spice up the Source LinkedIn post comment with typographic arrows and a
couple of emoji (per .agents/docs/linkedin.md), and swap Data Lineage for
Data Rollback in the standard-features line.
2026-09-27 11:23:35 +00:00
allan ae3f5128c2 Merge pull request 'feed: add a who-is-it-for post for Data Controller' (#22) from feed/who-is-data-controller-for into main
publish / Build-and-publish (push) Successful in 3m57s
Reviewed-on: #22
2026-09-26 20:24:46 +00:00
blog-dev bc44d4cf73 feed: use the generated cover for the who-is-it-for post 2026-09-26 20:10:08 +00:00
blog-dev 838bc7a96f feed: correct the Excel retention wording and mention rollback 2026-09-26 20:10:08 +00:00
blog-dev 53c0de0960 feed: add a placeholder cover for the who-is-it-for post 2026-09-26 19:53:21 +00:00
blog-dev 549ecc36aa feed: add a who-is-it-for post for Data Controller 2026-09-26 19:41:36 +00:00
allan 463de81ffa Merge pull request 'blog: document the concurrency caveat of two librefs over one table' (#21) from blog/concurrency-caveat into main
publish / Build-and-publish (push) Successful in 3m55s
Reviewed-on: #21
2026-09-24 17:22:47 +00:00
dc 79d2e887d3 blog: document the concurrency caveat of two librefs over one table
mp_lockanytable keys its control table on (lock_lib, lock_ds), and the
approve service takes that lock on the base table named in the submit
record. The MPE_DATALOADS staleness check is keyed the same way. So two
registrations of one physical file neither lock nor observe each other,
and a second approval can overwrite the first silently.

Spell that out, note that the hook route routes both mirrors to one base
table and so does not have the gap, and give the two ways to close it.
2026-09-24 17:09:34 +00:00
allan 1119645a00 Merge pull request 'blog: add a post on running two rule sets against one table' (#20) from feed/two-rule-sets-one-table into main
publish / Build-and-publish (push) Successful in 4m19s
Reviewed-on: #20
2026-09-24 16:37:16 +00:00
dc a1513b871e blog: add a post on running two rule sets against one table
Capture all four screenshots against a licensed instance, so the
free-tier licence banner is no longer in frame.
2026-09-24 16:34:29 +00:00
15 changed files with 509 additions and 1 deletions

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push: push:
branches: branches:
- main - main
workflow_dispatch:
# One deploy at a time: `surfer deploy` swaps the site atomically, so two runs
# racing each other is not corruption, but it is a wasted build and the last
# swap wins.
concurrency:
group: surfer-datacontroller-io
cancel-in-progress: false
jobs: jobs:
Build-and-publish: Build-and-publish:
@@ -21,5 +29,23 @@ jobs:
- name: Build - name: Build
run: npm run build run: npm run build
# Deploy tooling pinned to an exact version: the workflow publishes
# whatever is committed, and an unpinned `latest` would let a breaking or
# compromised upstream release ship straight to the live site.
#
# `deploy` (v7) replaces the site atomically - it extracts to a staging
# folder and swaps it in, so a failed upload leaves the current site
# serving. The v6 `put` this replaces was token authenticated and is
# gone; v7 takes the Cloudron username plus an app password for this app.
- name: Publish - name: Publish
run: npx surfer put --token ${{ secrets.SURFER_TOKEN }} --server datacontroller.io public/* / env:
SURFER_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.SURFER_PASSWORD }}
REF_NAME: ${{ gitea.ref_name }}
COMMIT_SHA: ${{ gitea.sha }}
run: |
set -euo pipefail
npx --yes @cloudron/surfer@7.2.0 deploy public \
--server datacontroller.io \
--username allan \
--password "$SURFER_PASSWORD" \
--message "Build from ${REF_NAME} @ ${COMMIT_SHA:0:8}"
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---
title: 'Derived Variables: computed columns in the EDIT screen'
description: Data Controller can now compute columns that do not exist in the table - and, crucially, filter on them. Configured per table in MPE_DERIVED, computed on every read, never stored.
date: '2026-10-21 12:00:00'
author: 'Allan Bowe'
authorLink: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allanbowe/
previewImg: './derived-grid.png'
tags:
- Data Controller
- Features
---
# Derived variables: computed columns you can filter on
Every reporting team has a version of this request, and it always sounds like a five minute job: a column in the EDIT screen that is not in the table. A region worked out from a state code. A line value that is quantity times price. Not stored, not loaded, just *there* - and, as the requester usually adds, filterable.
The "not stored" part is easy. The "filterable" part is where the design lives, and it is worth writing down, because it explains every other decision in the feature.
## Why a computed column is not automatically filterable
You would write it in a DATA step:
```sas
data out;
set mylib.mytable;
REGION = ifc(STATE in ('CA','OR','WA'),'West','East');
where REGION = 'West';
run;
```
That fails. A `WHERE` statement applies to the data set named on the `SET` statement - the *input* - and on that input `REGION` does not exist. SAS cannot see a variable that the same step creates later. You can put the assignment and the filter in separate steps, but then the filter runs after the step has read every row, which is precisely the work the filter exists to avoid - and for a large table that is the difference between a fast screen and a coffee break.
So the calculation has to happen somewhere the filter can see it. In Data Controller it happens in a **DATA step view**:
```sas
data work.vw_derived / view=work.vw_derived;
set mylib.mytable;
attrib REGION length=$8 label='REGION=ifc(...)' format=$8.;
REGION = ifc(STATE in ('CA','OR','WA'),'West','East');
run;
data out;
set work.vw_derived;
where %inc filtref;;
run;
```
The view is not executed when it is defined. When the second step reads it, the assignment runs as part of the view's step, so by the time the `WHERE` is evaluated `REGION` is a column of the input. The filter is unchanged, the row-level security clause is unchanged, and nothing extra is read.
## What it looks like
The demo table below has four rows. `LINE_VALUE` is `QTY * PRICE`, `REGION` is derived from `STATE`, and `REGION_LABEL` is built on `REGION`. None of the three is a column of the table, and all three are read-only in the grid - and marked so, with a tinted header carrying an `fx` badge, italic tinted cells, and an edge where the computed block begins, so that "computed" never has to be confused with "locked by a rule":
![](./derived-grid.png)
Because they are on the input to the filter, they filter like any other column. Here is `REGION = 'West'`, with the filter bar naming the derived variable:
![](./derived-filter-region.png)
and a numeric one, `LINE_VALUE > 50`:
![](./derived-filter-value.png)
The value list in the filter dialog is built the same way, from the table under the rest of the filter - so a derived column gets a dropdown of its distinct values, not a blank box.
## Configuration
`MPE_DERIVED` is itself a Data Controller table, so it is maintained through the EDIT screen with the usual submit / review / approve workflow. One row per variable - these are the three rows behind the screenshots above:
![](./derived-config.png)
```
VAR_NM REGION
VAR_DEPS STATE
VAR_TYPE C
VAR_LEN 8
VAR_FMT (blank)
VAR_LABEL (blank)
VAR_LOGIC ifc(STATE in ('CA','OR','WA'),'West','East')
ACTIVE 1
```
and the chained one:
```
VAR_NM REGION_LABEL
VAR_DEPS REGION STATE
VAR_TYPE C
VAR_LEN 14
VAR_FMT (blank)
VAR_LABEL Region and state
VAR_LOGIC cats(REGION,'-',STATE)
ACTIVE 1
```
Which produces, at read time:
```sas
attrib REGION length=$8 label='REGION=ifc(STATE in (''CA'',''OR'',''WA''),''West'',''East'')' format=$8.;
REGION = ifc(STATE in ('CA','OR','WA'),'West','East');
attrib REGION_LABEL length=$14 label='Region and state' format=$14.;
REGION_LABEL = cats(REGION,'-',STATE);
```
Type and length are declared rather than guessed, so a value is truncated exactly as specified. The format is optional; when it is left blank a character variable gets `$<length>.` and a numeric one `<length>.`, and a date, time or datetime format makes the column render - and filter - as a date, the same way a stored column does. The label is `VAR_LABEL` when you supply one, otherwise the name, an equals sign and the expression, so a user who switches labels on can see where the value came from.
## Dependencies, without a sequence number
`REGION_LABEL` needs `REGION` to exist first. Rather than maintain a sort order, each row declares its inputs in `VAR_DEPS`, and the statements are emitted in dependency order. Adding a variable in the middle of a chain means editing one row's `VAR_DEPS`, not renumbering the table.
`VAR_DEPS` lists *every* input - physical columns and derived variables alike - and the declaration is checked against the expression in both directions: a derived variable the expression references must be declared, and a declared name the expression does not reference is an error. A declared name must be a column of the table or a derived variable of the same table, and a cycle is rejected with the path that forms it:
```
VAR_DEPS contains a cycle: A -> B -> C -> A
```
## What it will not do
**Expressions only.** `VAR_LOGIC` must be a single SAS expression. Semicolons, macro triggers (`%`, `&`) and comments are rejected, so one row can never be more than an expression - which is the point: a config table is not a place to write programs. Conditional logic is available through functions such as `ifc()`, `choosec()`, `cats()`, `catx()`, `put()`, `input()` and `intnx()`.
**No shadowing, no self-reference.** A derived variable may not reuse the name of a column in the target table. Nor may it reference itself: `SUMMER = SUMMER + 1` implies a retained value, which depends on the order rows happen to arrive in.
**Never stored.** Derived values are computed on every read. Nothing derived is submitted, reviewed or written back - the approval package contains physical columns only, and a crafted submission that includes a derived column is discarded before the security check runs.
**EDIT screen only, for now.** The VIEW screen and the download services do not show derived columns. A saved filter that references one still applies there and is evaluated the same way.
**Not for row level security.** A rule in `MPE_ROW_LEVEL_SECURITY` cannot reference a derived column: the rule is evaluated against the submitted data, where the column does not exist. Saving a rule that names one is rejected with an explanation rather than left to fail at submit time.
## One warning
An expression can reference a column that is hidden from a user by [Column Level Security](https://docs.datacontroller.io/column-level-security/) - and the derived column will show the result. Configure derived variables with the same care as any other data exposure.
## Availability
Derived variables are available on SAS 9, Viya and SASjs Server. The configuration table, the settings and the post-edit validation are created by the usual upgrade - there is nothing to install beyond the release itself.
The full reference, including every column of `MPE_DERIVED` and the validation rules applied at submit time, is in the [docs](https://docs.datacontroller.io/derived-variables/).
If a table of yours has been waiting for "just one more column", we would love to [hear from you](/contact).
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---
title: 'The column that is not in the table'
description: 'Derived variables give the EDIT screen columns that do not exist in the table - computed on every read, never stored, and filterable like any other column. The full story is in the article.'
date: '2026-10-27 09:00:00'
author: 'Data Controller'
authorLink: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/data-controller-for-sas
tags:
- Announcements
- Features
previewImg: './derived-fx.png'
---
# The column that is not in the table
Every reporting team has a version of this request, and it always sounds like a five minute job: "can we have a region column? It is just the state, mapped. And a line value - quantity times price. We do not need it stored, we just need it on the screen."
It is never a five minute job - so Data Controller now does the obvious thing instead. You write the expression, and the EDIT screen shows the column: computed on every read, never stored, marked `fx` and read-only, so nobody has to wonder whether it is locked or simply has nothing to edit.
The part that took the thinking is that they filter like any other column. That needed a DATA step view rather than a data step, and the reasoning is worth reading: [Derived variables: computed columns you can filter on](/derived-variables/).
Reference: [Derived Variables](https://docs.datacontroller.io/derived-variables/).
If a table of yours has been waiting for "just one more column", we would love to [hear from you](/contact).
<!--
Feed teaser for the article at /derived-variables/. The article carries the
engineering - why a computed column is not automatically filterable, the DATA
step view, the configuration table, the limits - so this post links to it
rather than repeating it.
Image prompt (cover): a clean, modern illustration on a white background: a
spreadsheet grid rendered in soft slate and light blue, with the leftmost four
columns showing plain data and three further columns floating slightly to the
right, detached from the table, tinted light blue and italicised, each marked
with a small "fx" badge. A thin left border separates the floating block from
the stored columns. No text other than the fx badges. Flat vector style, brand
palette: slate #314351, light blue #d3e5f2, accent green #79a843 used sparingly
as a single dot.
-->
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---
title: 'Data Controller for SAS® - a Customer Story'
description: Data Controller for SAS® lets business users self serve their data updates - restricted access to the data values, with the data model protected.
date: '2026-10-11 09:00:00'
author: 'Data Controller'
authorLink: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/data-controller-for-sas
tags:
- Announcements
previewImg: './customer-story.jpeg'
---
# Data Controller for SAS® - a Customer Story
Data Controller for SAS® empowers business users to self serve their data updates, by providing restricted access to the data *values* whilst protecting the data *model*. This short customer story shows what that looks like for Data and Analytics teams in regulated industries.
The distinction is the whole point. An editor can add, correct and delete rows in the tables they are responsible for, but they cannot change the structure underneath - no new columns, no altered formats, no dropped keys. The shape of the table is fixed, and only its contents move. Every change is staged, validated at the point of entry, reviewed as a diff and approved by a data owner before it is loaded, with a full audit trail of who changed what, when and why.
See it in action:
<iframe title="Data Controller for SAS - a Customer Story" width="560" height="315" src="https://vid.4gl.io/videos/embed/kpSGoNE26FSif8X9A6pUfe" style="border: 0px;" allow="fullscreen" sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-forms"></iframe>
Would you like to see how this would work against your own tables? [Get in touch](/contact) to arrange a walkthrough.
<!--
Source LinkedIn post:
Business users need to keep their data current. They do not need to change the tables underneath.
Most tools blur the two. Hand someone a spreadsheet and they reshape the file. Grant write access to a production table and they can reshape the table. Neither is what you want.
Data Controller for SAS® draws the line at the data VALUES. Business users self serve their updates - adding, correcting and deleting rows in the tables they own - with restricted access to what is inside the table, whilst the data MODEL stays protected. No new columns, no altered formats, no dropped keys.
→ Every change is staged and validated at the point of entry
→ Reviewed as a diff and approved by a data owner before it loads
→ With a full audit trail of who changed what, when and why
A short customer story, for Data and Analytics teams in regulated industries:
✅ Watch the story, then book a Discovery Call - link in the comments.
#sas #sasviya #datagovernance #datacapture #dataquality
-->
<!-- Image prompt:
Generate a 16:9 landscape illustration for a B2B data-governance blog cover, 1200x627.
Style: flat vector illustration, dark slate background (#314351) with a faint evenly spaced dot grid, brand green accent (#90c445), lighter slate panels (#2e4252), soft diffused shadows, subtle depth.
Scene: a single data table drawn as two separated layers. The top layer is the table's structure - a header band of column blocks in muted slate, held behind a closed green padlock on the left. The bottom layer is the table's values - four rows of rounded cells in lighter slate, with two cells filled solid brand green and a small green pencil resting beside the lower right of the grid, as if those values are the ones being edited. A thin vertical gap separates the two layers, so the padlock reads as protecting the structure above while the open cells below are the editable values.
Minimal text, no letters, no numbers, no logos, no watermark. Keep the subject inside the central square so a 1:1 crop is safe; the outer left and right thirds may be croppable background only.
Output: save as ./customer-story.jpeg at 1200x627 (matching the other feed covers, and doubling as the LinkedIn share card). Do not also embed the image in the markdown body.
-->
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---
title: 'Support Diagnostics: browser_info and browser_url_vars'
description: Data Controller sends two input tables with the startup service and with every service that runs customer code - the browser context and the page URL parameters. A support ticket can be answered from the job log, and a hook can read them.
date: '2026-09-27 09:00:00'
author: 'Data Controller'
authorLink: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/data-controller-for-sas
tags:
- Announcements
previewImg: './support-diagnostics.jpeg'
---
# Support Diagnostics: browser_info and browser_url_vars
A support ticket usually starts with a round of questions. Which browser? Which timezone? Which build? What was in the URL? Data Controller now answers them itself. The frontend sends two input tables - `browser_info` and `browser_url_vars` - with the startup service and with every service that runs customer-provided code, so the context of a session is in the job log before anyone asks for it, and a hook script can read it.
This ships with the next Data Controller release.
## The two tables
Both are ordinary input tables on the request: the adapter turns each array in the payload into a table in the service's WORK library, so they arrive as `work.browser_info` and `work.browser_url_vars`.
### browser_info
A single row, describing the client that made the request:
| Column | What it holds |
|---|---|
| `url` | The URL of the Data Controller page itself (the iframe), not the document embedding it - so an embedded editor is distinguishable from a standalone one. |
| `referrer` | The embedding document, from `document.referrer`. For an embedded report this is the report URL. |
| `timezone` | The browser's IANA timezone, e.g. `Europe/Berlin`. |
| `tz_offset` | The browser's UTC offset in minutes, as `Date.getTimezoneOffset()` returns it - positive west of UTC, so `Europe/Berlin` in summer is `-120`. |
| `locale` | The browser locale, e.g. `en-GB`. |
| `dc_version` | The Data Controller build, as `appinfo()` reports it. |
| `adapter_version` | The `@sasjs/adapter` version the client was built with. |
| `browser` | The browser family, parsed from the user agent. |
| `browser_version` | The browser version. |
| `platform` | The operating system. |
| `user_agent` | The raw `navigator.userAgent` string. |
### browser_url_vars
One row per URL parameter:
| Column | What it holds |
|---|---|
| `name` | The parameter name. |
| `value` | The parameter value. |
Parameters are read from both the search string and the hash query string, because Angular routes carry them after the `#`. Where the same name appears in both, the search string wins. The table is sent only when the page URL has at least one parameter.
## Which services receive them
| Service | When |
|---|---|
| `public/startupservice` | Once per session, so every job log carries the session context |
| `editors/getdata` | The PRE_EDIT_HOOK |
| `editors/stagedata` | The POST_EDIT_HOOK, through the loader |
| `editors/restore` | The POST_EDIT_HOOK, through the loader |
| `editors/getdynamiccolvals` | The dynamic cell dropdown programs |
| `auditors/postdata` | The PRE_APPROVE_HOOK and POST_APPROVE_HOOK |
| `editors/loadfile` | The POST_EDIT_HOOK - see the caveat below |
Those are the services that run customer code. The viewer's `viewlibs`, `viewtables` and `viewdata`, the metadata services and `usernav` receive neither table, so the high-frequency calls stay lean.
## Reading them in a hook
A hook script is `%include`d into the running service, so it shares the service's WORK library and can read the tables directly. Take an embedded editor opened at:
```
https://datacontroller.io/#/editor/SASHELP.CLASS?labels=true&embed=va
```
`browser_url_vars` then holds a row per parameter - `labels=true` and `embed=va` - and a hook can read either by name:
```sas
%let labels=N;
%let embed=N;
%if %sysfunc(exist(work.browser_url_vars)) %then %do;
proc sql noprint;
select value into :labels
from work.browser_url_vars
where name = 'labels';
select value into :embed
from work.browser_url_vars
where name = 'embed';
quit;
%end;
```
Or branch on what the user's browser reports:
```sas
data _null_;
set work.browser_info;
call symputx('dc_timezone', timezone);
call symputx('dc_locale', locale);
run;
```
Note the `exist()` guard. A service called directly, or by a frontend older than this feature, has no `work.browser_info` at all, so an unguarded `set` or `select` would fail the job. Guard first, then read.
## In the job log
Turn debug on and the session initialisation writes both tables to the log, so a ticket can be diagnosed without a second round of questions:
```
NOTE: MPEINIT: work.browser_url_vars:
name=embed value=va
NOTE: MPEINIT: work.browser_info:
url=... referrer=... timezone=Europe/Berlin tz_offset=-120 locale=en-GB
dc_version=... adapter_version=... browser=Chrome browser_version=...
platform=Linux user_agent=...
```
The debug value depends on the path - `&_debug=131` on the Compute API and SAS 9, `&_debug=128` on the Viya web (JES) path with `runAsTask` enabled, which is what the frontend sends there. Either way, switching debug on in the app is enough.
## Worth knowing
- The values are supplied by the client. Treat them as diagnostics hints, never as a security boundary.
- `editors/loadfile` is reached through the adapter's multipart file upload, which carries no input tables, so in normal use that service - and the hook it runs - does not receive them. It is on the list for completeness.
- Nothing else pays for the tables: they travel only with the services above.
Full detail, including the column definitions and the log output, is in the [troubleshooting documentation](https://docs.datacontroller.io/dci-troubleshooting/).
<!--
Source LinkedIn post:
A support ticket starts with questions. Which browser? Which timezone? Which build? What was in the URL?
Data Controller now answers them itself.
Two tables travel with the startup service, and with every service that runs your own code:
→ browser_info - one row: browser and version, platform, timezone and UTC offset, locale, the DC and adapter builds, the page URL and the referrer
→ browser_url_vars - one row per URL parameter, name and value, read straight into a macro variable
Both land in the job log when debug is on, so a ticket can be diagnosed from the log instead of a round trip. Both are readable from a hook script - %include shares the service's WORK library, so a hook can branch on the user's timezone, or pick up a parameter from the URL.
They are client supplied values: diagnostics hints, not a security boundary. Guard with %sysfunc(exist()) - a service called directly, or an older frontend, sends nothing.
✅ Full detail in the Data Controller documentation - link in the comments.
#sas #sasviya #datagovernance #datacapture #sasjs
-->
<!-- Image prompt:
Generate a 16:9 landscape illustration for a B2B data-governance blog cover, 1200x627.
Style: flat vector illustration, dark slate background (#314351) with a faint evenly spaced dot grid, brand green accent (#90c445), lighter slate panels (#2e4252), soft diffused shadows, subtle depth.
Scene: two rounded panels side by side, each with a header bar in brand green and four rows of rounded cells. The left panel carries short uniform value blocks (the browser context); the right panel carries name-and-value pairs, drawn as a narrow block beside a wider one (the URL parameters), with a single row in the left panel highlighted in green. Between and below the panels a thin vertical connector line runs down to a wide, flat log strip of alternating short green rules on a lighter slate panel, suggesting the tables being written to a job log.
Minimal text, no letters, no numbers, no logos, no watermark. Keep the subject inside the central square so a 1:1 crop is safe; the outer left and right thirds may be croppable background only.
Output: save as ./support-diagnostics.jpeg at 1200x627 (matching the other feed covers, and doubling as the LinkedIn share card). Do not also embed the image in the markdown body.
-->
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---
title: 'Data Controller for SAS® - Who Is It For?'
description: Five roles, five questions - what Data Controller for SAS® answers for administrators, auditors, managers, data owners and purchasers.
date: '2026-09-26 09:00:00'
author: 'Data Controller'
authorLink: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/data-controller-for-sas
tags:
- Announcements
previewImg: './who-is-data-controller-for.jpeg'
---
# Data Controller for SAS® - Who Is It For?
Data Controller for SAS® gives business users a safe way to add, modify and delete data in SAS tables and databases, without handing them write access to production. That one capability answers a different question for each role that touches the data - so here is the short version, role by role.
## Data Administrators
Would you grant self-serve data updates in SAS if there was no risk to the data model? That is the trade Data Controller offers. End users never get direct write access to the target tables - every change is staged, validated at the point of entry, and applied by the service itself. Data Controller changes data, not structure, so your data model stays as it is.
## Data Auditors
Do you need to know who made a particular data change, what that change was, when it was made, and who signed it off? Every submission carries a full audit trail, and any associated Excel file is retained alongside it, so the source of a change can be reviewed long after it was loaded.
## Data Managers
Do you want to load, modify or delete production data without writing repetitive code, saving sensitive data to shared filesystems, building and deploying jobs, or crafting long-winded change requests? Adding a new editable table is configuration rather than development - the grid is generated from the target table's metadata, and the load type (composite or retained keys, SCD2, bitemporal) is picked from a list.
## Data Owners
Do you like to review data changes before they are applied? Approvers see the diff - new, changed and deleted rows - and nothing lands until it is signed off. Email alerts can tell you when data is changed or about to change, and a completed load can trigger a SAS job downstream. If the wrong change gets approved anyway, the table can be rolled back to a previous state - and the rollback is itself a new, reviewable change, so the audit trail keeps both the mistake and the correction.
## Purchasers
How about a business friendly, no lock-in software licence? The price list is public, every package includes unlimited users, and a perpetual licence is available. The Community package is free, so evaluating Data Controller costs nothing but the installation.
## What it is, in one line
Data Controller for SAS® is a robust solution for secure data uploads into any SAS-connected database, with full audit trail and approval mechanism. Configuration is quick, installation is easy, and everything runs on your own SAS platform with no external calls.
Multiple load types are supported (composite and retained keys, SCD2, bitemporal, format catalogs), data can be validated at the point of entry, and Excel end-user computing files can be dragged straight into SAS. Data Rollback, Data Catalog and Data Viewer come as standard.
Data Control.
Want to see it working on your own data? [Book a Discovery Call](/contact).
<!--
Source LinkedIn post:
Data Administrators → would you grant self-serve data updates in SAS, if there was no risk to the data model?
Data Auditors → do you require oversight of who made a particular data change, what that change was, when it was made, and who signed it off? And to review the original excel, if used as a source?
Data Managers → do you prefer to load / modify / delete production data WITHOUT writing repetitive code, saving sensitive data to shared filesystems, building & deploying jobs, or crafting long-winded change requests?
Data Owners → do you like to review data changes before they are applied? How about receiving email alerts or the ability to set up job triggers after tables are updated?
Purchasers → how about a business friendly, no lock-in software licence?
Data Controller for SAS® is a robust solution for secure data uploads into any SAS-connected database, with full audit trail and approval mechanism.
Installation is easy and configuration is quick ⚡ Multiple load types supported (composite / retained keys, SCD2, Bitemporal, Format catalogs). Perform data validation at point of entry. Drag & drop Excel EUCs straight into SAS.
Data Rollback, Data Catalog, Data Viewer.
Data Control. ✅
#sas #sasviya #sasusers #datagovernance
https://lnkd.in/dunqWhnt
Image prompt:
Flat vector illustration, dark slate blue background (#314351), wide 1.91:1 banner (1200 x 627). Five simplified human figures stand in a shallow arc across the centre, each rendered in flat corporate style with minimal facial detail: an administrator beside a padlock, an auditor with a magnifying glass over a document, a manager holding a spreadsheet with an upward arrow, a data owner holding an approval tick, and a purchaser holding a price tag. Behind them, a translucent dashboard panel shows a data grid with one row highlighted as a pending change, and a small diff of new, changed and deleted rows. Thin connecting lines link each figure to the panel, suggesting that every role sees the same controlled workflow. Bright green accent (#90c445) used sparingly on the approval tick, the highlighted row and the connecting lines. Subtle depth with soft shadows, crisp edges. No text, no words, no letters, no logos, no watermarks. Keep the figures and the panel inside the central square so the image is safe to crop to 1:1 - the outer left and right thirds are background only.
-->
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