---
title: "Frequently Asked Questions"
output: rmarkdown::html_vignette
vignette: >
  %\VignetteIndexEntry{FAQ}
  %\VignetteEngine{knitr::rmarkdown}
  %\VignetteEncoding{UTF-8}
---

```{r setup, include = FALSE}
knitr::opts_chunk$set(
  collapse = TRUE,
  comment = "#>"
)

options(rmarkdown.html_vignette.check_title = FALSE)

```

Below are some frequently asked questions about the **sassy** meta-package. Click
on the links below to navigate to the full question and answer content.

## Index{#top}

* [What is the sassy system?](#sassy)
* [Why did you write the sassy system?](#why)
* [Does the sassy system require SAS® to be installed?](#sas)
* [Do I need a background in SAS® to use the sassy system?](#background)
* [Can't I just install everything individually?](#packages)
* [Is the **sassy** system validated?](#validation)
* [Is there any training available for the **sassy** system?](#training)

## Content

### What is the sassy system? {#sassy}

**Q:** I don't quite understand the concept of the **sassy** system. 
What is this set of packages?

**A:** The **sassy** package is a meta-package that contains seven 
sub-packages: [**logr**](https://logr.r-sassy.org/), 
[**fmtr**](https://fmtr.r-sassy.org/), 
[**libr**](https://libr.r-sassy.org/), 
[**reporter**](https://reporter.r-sassy.org/), 
[**common**](https://common.r-sassy.org/),  
[**procs**](https://procs.r-sassy.org/), and 
[**macro**](https://macro.r-sassy.org/). 
These seven 
packages work together as an integrated system.  The system 
was written primarily to make regulatory reporting in R easier.  The system
borrows several concepts from SAS® software, and that is why it is called
**sassy**.  

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### Why did you write the sassy system? {#why}

**Q:** What was the motivation behind writing the **sassy** packages?  There
are already +10,000 R packages?  Was it really necessary to write more?

**A:** The **sassy** packages were written to fill gaps in the way R 
deals with accessing, formatting, and reporting data, plus the logging of those
activities.  Some of the functionality of the **sassy** system is redundant
with existing packages. But these packages do not work together, or were not
easy to use.  The advantage
of the **sassy** packages is that they were written as a complete ecosystem.

For instance, the **libr** and **reporter** packages know about the **logr**
package, and will log their operations automatically.  Another example is 
the **fmtr**
package can assign a "format" attribute that can be picked up and used
during reporting with the **reporter** package, or when viewing a 
data dictionary from the **libr** package.  There are many more ways these
packages compliment each other. 
This integration
is something that did not exist in R previously, and makes the **sassy**
system interesting.

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### Does the sassy system require SAS® to be installed? {#sas}

**Q:** I am interested in using the **sassy** system, but I don't have 
SAS® installed.  Is it required?

**A:** No.  The **sassy** system is just R packages. They are written mostly in 
Base R, and require no other software to run.

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### Do I need a background in SAS® to use the sassy system? {#background}

**Q:** I don't have a background in SAS®.  I just know R.  Can I use
the **sassy** packages?

**A:** Yes.  No background in SAS® is necessary to use these packages.
SAS® users will see some similarity between **sassy** functions and functions
from SAS®.  In the end, however, the **sassy** packages are pure R packages,
and can be used effectively by any R programmer. R users will probably 
find the concepts introduced by the **sassy** system to be very useful, and 
more efficient than the equivalent concepts from Base R.

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### Can't I just install everything individually? {#packages}

**Q:** Why do I need to install/load the **sassy** package?  Can't I just
install and load each of the packages independently?

**A:** Yes, you can.  The **sassy** package just makes it more convenient, 
in the same way that the **tidyverse** meta-package makes it more convenient
to use the packages in that system.

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### Is the **sassy** system validated? {#validation}

**Q:** My company requires that all software be validated before using in 
production. Are the **sassy** packages validated?

**A:** Yes.  The statistical functions were validated by comparing to SAS®. 
The validation
documentation is [here](https://r-sassy.org/validation/Procs_Validation.pdf).
In addition, there are Installation Qualification (IQ) and 
Operational Qualification (OQ) routines included in the **sassy** package
for all sub-packages. See the `run_iq()` and `run_oq()` documentation
for additional information on these routines.

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### Is there any training available for the **sassy** system?? {#training}

**Q:** I'd like to get some more structured training on the SASSY packages.  Is there
a training course?

**A:** Yes.  There is a video training course on YouTube.  Please refer
to [this page](https://sassy.r-sassy.org/articles/sassy-training.html) for 
links to each of the training videos.  

The author of the **sassy** packages is also available for instructor-led
training.  For more information, please contact the package author/maintainer
via email.  



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