topic Bug in proc sql and fcmp variable scope (SAS 9.4M8) in Developers

Bug in proc sql and fcmp variable scope (SAS 9.4M8)

_rok_ — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 10:42:44 GMT

Hi,

Not sure where to post this (recommendations welcome), but be aware of a bug in SAS when using proc fcmp functions in proc sql - the variable scopes are not resolved correctly and assignments to arguments within the fcmp functions are actually made to the arguments that are passed (despite a warning in the log stating that they're not). Here's a minimal reproducible example:

proc fcmp outlib=work.functions.mre;
    function get_a_value(arg $);
        arg = "FromFcmp";
        return(0);
    endsub;
run;
option CMPLIB=work.functions;
proc sql;
    create table example as select x, get_a_value(x) as y from (select "From Sql" as x from dictionary.libnames);
quit;

Within the created data set (work.example) the value of x is "FromFcmp". The workaround is to assign the arguments of functions to local variables and manipulate those.

Re: Bug in proc sql and fcmp variable scope (SAS 9.4M8)

yabwon — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 11:16:23 GMT

Interesting thing, wonder wether it is FCMP's problem or SQL's ?

Because (what is "funny") in the datastep it works ok.

proc fcmp outlib=work.functions.mre;
    function get_a_value(arg $);
        put "BEFORE: inside FCMP" arg ;
        arg = "FromFcmp";
        put "AFTER: inside FCMP" arg ;
        return(lengthn(arg));
    endsub;
run;
option CMPLIB=work.functions;

data example2;
  x = "From Sql";
  put _ALL_;
  y=get_a_value(x);
  put _ALL_;
run;

[EDIT:] I would go to SAS Tech. Support with that.

Bart

Re: Bug in proc sql and fcmp variable scope (SAS 9.4M8)

andreas_lds — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 11:27:03 GMT

Contacting tech support is recommended, as it looks like either a very fancy feature or a bug.