topic Re: %nrstr string getting "Error: Missing ')' parenthesis" in New SAS User

%nrstr string getting "Error: Missing ')' parenthesis"

LEINAARE — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 21:18:41 GMT

Hello,

I am developing a macro program to use for two different analyses. Below is a simplified version of the program. The actual program is much larger. I included a global macro variable "cohort" within the macro program. As you see below, for the first execution of the program, the variable "cohort" was assigned a null value. The entire program executed as desired for this step.

%let cohort = ;

%macro frequencies(year,var);
proc freq data=cohort_flags(where=(eligible=1 & year=&year &cohort)) noprint;
	table &var / out=freq;
	by orsid;
run;
%mend;

*Example;
%frequencies(2012,race);

However, for the second analysis, I want to restrict incoming observations to those that have the same cohort allocation as a given year. What I want is to assign a value to the global macro variable "cohort" that acts as an additional statement within the where option. I know that the following is not valid syntax, but to communicate what I want, I would like the resolved macro variable to create code within the macro program that looks like this "and cohort = &year", with "year" calling the local macro variable. I have been experimenting with different combinations of %nrstr and %nrquote, but have been unsuccessful thus far. Below is an example of my last failed experiment.

%let cohort = %nrstr(and cohort = &year);
%let cohort = %nrstr(and cohort = %nrquote(%unquote(&year));

I keep getting the error message

ERROR 22-322: Missing ')' parenthesis

I would greatly appreciate your help in creating a global macro variable that resolves within the macro program to reference the local macro variable "year".

Thanks,

Re: %nrstr string getting "Error: Missing ')' parenthesis"

novinosrin — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 21:20:55 GMT

One more closing parenthesis &year)));

%let cohort = %nrstr(and cohort = %nrquote(%unquote(&year)));

Re: %nrstr string getting "Error: Missing ')' parenthesis"

LEINAARE — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 21:33:05 GMT

Hi @novinosrin

I added the extra parenthesis as you suggested. Below is a copy of the log with the full macro in it.

9803 options mprint symbolgen mlogic;

9804 %macro frequencies(year,var,missing);
9805 %put Output frequencies of categories by ORSID;
9806 proc freq data=cohort_flags(where=(eligible=1 & year=&year &cohort)) noprint;
9807 table &var / out=freq;
9808 by orsid;
9809 run;
9810 %put Separate duplicates & ensure correct number of total enrollees for &year;
9811 proc sort data=freq nodupkey
9812 out=enrollee_count
9813 dupout=duplicates;
9814 by orsid;
9815 run;
9816 %put Ensure duplicate observations are not missing;
9817 data anymissing;
9818 set duplicates (where=(&var=&missing));
9819 run;
9820 %put Print frequency counts and missing observations;
9821 proc freq data=freq (drop=count percent);
9822 table &var;
9823 run;
9824 %mend;

9825 %let cohort = %nrstr(and cohort = %nrquote(%unquote(&year)));
9826 %frequencies(2012,new_race,.);
MLOGIC(FREQUENCIES): Beginning execution.
MLOGIC(FREQUENCIES): Parameter YEAR has value 2012
MLOGIC(FREQUENCIES): Parameter VAR has value new_race
MLOGIC(FREQUENCIES): Parameter MISSING has value .
MLOGIC(FREQUENCIES): %PUT Output frequencies of categories by ORSID
Output frequencies of categories by ORSID
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable YEAR resolves to 2012
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable COHORT resolves to and cohort = %nrquote(%unquote(&year))
SYMBOLGEN: Some characters in the above value which were subject to macro quoting have been
unquoted for printing.
NOTE 137-205: Line generated by the invoked macro "FREQUENCIES".
1 proc freq data=cohort_flags(where=(eligible=1 & year=&year &cohort)) noprint; table &var
-
22
1 ! / out=freq; by orsid; run;
ERROR 22-322: Missing ')' parenthesis for data set option list

NOTE: Line generated by the invoked macro "FREQUENCIES".
1 proc freq data=cohort_flags(where=(eligible=1 & year=&year &cohort)) noprint; table &var
-
79
1 ! / out=freq; by orsid; run;
ERROR 79-322: Expecting a ).

NOTE: Line generated by the macro variable "COHORT".
1 and cohort = %nrquote(%unquote(&year))
-
22
-
76
ERROR: Syntax error while parsing WHERE clause.
MPRINT(FREQUENCIES): proc freq data=cohort_flags(where=(eligible=1 & year=2012 and cohort =
%nrquote(%unquote(&year)))) noprint;
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable VAR resolves to new_race
MPRINT(FREQUENCIES): table new_race / out=freq;
MPRINT(FREQUENCIES): by orsid;
MPRINT(FREQUENCIES): run;

ERROR 22-322: Syntax error, expecting one of the following: a name, a quoted string,
a numeric constant, a datetime constant, a missing value, (, *, +, -, :, INPUT, NOT,
PUT, ^, ~.

ERROR 76-322: Syntax error, statement will be ignored.

NOTE: The SAS System stopped processing this step because of errors.
WARNING: The data set WORK.FREQ may be incomplete. When this step was stopped there were 0
observations and 0 variables.
WARNING: Data set WORK.FREQ was not replaced because this step was stopped.
NOTE: PROCEDURE FREQ used (Total process time):
real time 0.05 seconds
cpu time 0.04 seconds

MLOGIC(FREQUENCIES): %PUT Separate duplicates & ensure correct number of total enrollees for &year
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable YEAR resolves to 2012
Separate duplicates & ensure correct number of total enrollees for 2012

MPRINT(FREQUENCIES): proc sort data=freq nodupkey out=enrollee_count dupout=duplicates;
MPRINT(FREQUENCIES): by orsid;
ERROR: Variable ORSID not found.
MPRINT(FREQUENCIES): run;

NOTE: The SAS System stopped processing this step because of errors.
WARNING: The data set WORK.ENROLLEE_COUNT may be incomplete. When this step was stopped there were
0 observations and 0 variables.
WARNING: Data set WORK.ENROLLEE_COUNT was not replaced because this step was stopped.
WARNING: The data set WORK.DUPLICATES may be incomplete. When this step was stopped there were 0
observations and 0 variables.
WARNING: Data set WORK.DUPLICATES was not replaced because this step was stopped.
NOTE: PROCEDURE SORT used (Total process time):
real time 0.01 seconds
cpu time 0.00 seconds

MLOGIC(FREQUENCIES): %PUT Ensure duplicate observations are not missing
Ensure duplicate observations are not missing

MPRINT(FREQUENCIES): data anymissing;
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable VAR resolves to new_race
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable MISSING resolves to .
MPRINT(FREQUENCIES): set duplicates (where=(new_race=.));
ERROR: Variable new_race is not on file WORK.DUPLICATES.
MPRINT(FREQUENCIES): run;

NOTE: The SAS System stopped processing this step because of errors.
WARNING: The data set WORK.ANYMISSING may be incomplete. When this step was stopped there were 0
observations and 0 variables.
WARNING: Data set WORK.ANYMISSING was not replaced because this step was stopped.
NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):
real time 0.01 seconds
cpu time 0.00 seconds

MLOGIC(FREQUENCIES): %PUT Print frequency counts and missing observations
Print frequency counts and missing observations
MPRINT(FREQUENCIES): proc freq data=freq (drop=count percent);
ERROR: The variable count in the DROP, KEEP, or RENAME list has never been referenced.
ERROR: The variable percent in the DROP, KEEP, or RENAME list has never been referenced.
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable VAR resolves to new_race
MPRINT(FREQUENCIES): table new_race;
ERROR: No data set open to look up variables.
MPRINT(FREQUENCIES): run;

NOTE: The SAS System stopped processing this step because of errors.
NOTE: PROCEDURE FREQ used (Total process time):
real time 0.01 seconds
cpu time 0.01 seconds

MLOGIC(FREQUENCIES): Ending execution.

Re: %nrstr string getting "Error: Missing ')' parenthesis"

Tom — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 22:28:00 GMT

So you want to get the value of COHORT to be the string:

and cohort = &year

That is easy to do with a DATA step.

data _null_;
  call symputx('cohort','and cohort = &year');
run;

Much harder to do with pure macro code. Here is a trick that should work.

%let cohort=and cohort = &&%upcase(year);

The macro processor will evaluate && to &, but the use of the macro function around YEAR prevents the macro processor from then trying to resolve &YEAR.

Re: %nrstr string getting "Error: Missing ')' parenthesis"

LEINAARE — Thu, 18 Apr 2019 12:02:57 GMT

Hi @Tom,

Thank you for your help. I used the macro code you provided, and it worked well.

Thanks,

Ted