topic a bug with SAS macro?! (SAS8.2 for windows) in SAS Programming

a bug with SAS macro?! (SAS8.2 for windows)

bsmile — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:17:15 GMT

submit the following:

%let name=%quote(aaa'ggg);
%put &name;

and then issue %put &name; again, the screen displays
aaa'ggg);%put &name;';

which is not strange since ' is not paired, then submit the following:

%let name=%quote(aaa'ggg');
%put &name;

the screen displays error/warning:
%let name=%quote(aaa'ggg');
NOTE: A missing equals sign has been inserted after the variable name NAME.
%put &name;
ERROR: Open code statement recursion detected.

If then issue %put &name; to check what's in the macro name, the screen displays
=aaa'ggg';;

Question:
(1) The above execution result is very odd to me. Why would the initial error last for ever?
(2) Why would the macro name be assigned that way at the end?
(3) Why would the system complain "recursion detected"?

Re: a bug with SAS macro?! (SAS8.2 for windows)

PatrickG — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:29:34 GMT

http://swwafs.unx.sas.com/dept/pub/doc/902/gpp/prods/mcrolref/win/mcrolref.hlp/z3514quote.htm

The %quote function only masks single quotes when they occur in pairs, UNLESS you proceed one with a %.

Re: a bug with SAS macro?! (SAS8.2 for windows)

PatrickG — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:33:21 GMT

Oops, that link above only works internally. Try this one...

http://support.sas.com/documentation/cdl/en/mcrolref/61885/HTML/default/z3514quote.htm