topic Re: Set statement in a macro in New SAS User

Set statement in a macro

dustychair — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 06:29:13 GMT

Hi all,

I think I have a problem with "set" statement when it is in a macro. I have a macro as below and it calculates for only the last statement (speaking). I don't know what I am missing.

%macro gain(g);
data a501_403_v1;
set a501_403;
&g._ss_gain=&g._ss_501-&g._ss_403;
&g._pl_gain=&g._pl_501-&g._pl_403;
run;

%mend;
%gain (listening);
%gain (reading);
%gain (writing);
%gain (speaking);

Thank you

Re: Set statement in a macro

Tom — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 06:44:11 GMT

Your logic is messed up. You are re-creating the same output dataset each time you call the macro, that is why only the last one still exists.

Your problem doesn't really look like something that needs a macro , but if you did want to use a macro you need to have it only generate the two assignment statements. Then you can call it four times in the middle of a single data step.

%macro gain(g);
&g._ss_gain=&g._ss_501-&g._ss_403;
&g._pl_gain=&g._pl_501-&g._pl_403;
%mend;

data a501_403_v1;
  set a501_403; 
%gain (listening);
%gain (reading);
%gain (writing);
%gain (speaking);
run;

Re: Set statement in a macro

ballardw — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 06:57:25 GMT

It might be a good idea to post some example data and what you expect the result to be.

One suspects that a macro is not needed and likely an array solution might work

Re: Set statement in a macro

dustychair — Tue, 09 Feb 2021 20:47:40 GMT

Great! Thank you so much!