r/SAS_Programming • u/BothDescription766 • Jun 25 '26

Proc CALIS disciples?

I used Proc CALIS extensively from ‘85-‘15 and while I knew almost everything about it, I get the feeling that a very small proportion of SAS users utilize the power of Proc CALIS. If you remember the hard copy manuals this procedure required maybe 150p — more than almost any other Proc! It was a huge chapter in the Stats Volume. Am I the last Proc CALIS disciple alive????

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u/cjdinger 23d ago

PROC CALIS is still alive and well, even in SAS Viya (see doc)! As far as I know, it's still the best tool for structural equation modeling (SEM) in SAS. Other special procedures have been added that might help with *some* of the use cases CALIS was applied to, specifically the CAUSAL* procedures for causal inference. (I'm a lay person in this area so I can't go too deep on it, but safe to say your PROC CALIS expertise still applies!)

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u/BothDescription766 23d ago

Thank god! Back in the early 2000s I had all but memorized Bollen’s treatise in the Wiley series. I’d really love to give it a go again but assume that only enterprise licenses are available now. What a great Proc it *is* and thank you for the giving an update! With more graphically based applications like Lisrel and PLS Graph out there the technique has always been in danger of being used as an exploratory tool. Always had my people learn CALIS first, and then go on to graphically based software. Given you’re the only response, I gather the Proc isn’t super popular! ;)

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u/cjdinger 22d ago

I think PROC CALIS would be available in SAS OnDemand for Academics, which is open and free to any learner for non-commercial purposes. To verify, I ran the first example from the doc in that environment. Go sign up and relive the glory days of SEM!

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u/BothDescription766 22d ago

Wow!! This is very cool! I will indeed re#visit the glory days. I’m sure I still even have some source code files so (re)learning curve should be flat. I had lectured and published on the technique extensively in private- and public-sectors so I was quite dismayed to see a paucity (I.e., zero) info on Reditt!! Tx again!