topic Prefix for array of variables in SAS Programming

Prefix for array of variables

scb — Mon, 13 Aug 2018 10:46:49 GMT

The below macro variable a will get a,b,c,d; may I know how to get a.a, a.b, a.c, a.d?

data test;
infile datalines dsd;
input a1 $ a2 $ a3 $ a4 $;
cards;
a,b,c,d
;
run;

data test;
set test;
call symputx("a",catx(",",of a: ));
run;
%put &a;

Re: Prefix for array of variables

RW9 — Mon, 13 Aug 2018 10:49:32 GMT

data test;
  infile datalines dsd;
  input a1 $ a2 $ a3 $ a4 $;
  call symputx("a",cats("a.",catx(",a.",of a:)));  
cards;
a,b,c,d
;
run;
%put &a.;

The question really is why you would be wanting to do that in the first place.

Re: Prefix for array of variables

ballardw — Mon, 13 Aug 2018 14:46:55 GMT

@scb wrote:

The below macro variable a will get a,b,c,d; may I know how to get a.a, a.b, a.c, a.d?

data test;
infile datalines dsd;
input a1 $ a2 $ a3 $ a4 $;
cards;
a,b,c,d
;
run;

data test;
set test;
call symputx("a",catx(",",of a: ));
run;
%put &a;

You really do not want to do that as a.a is not a valid SAS variable name in general and the . would have SAS report some sort of SCL error. You could make date name literals but you would have to reference the resulting variable as 'a.a'n every time you use it.

So explain why you think you want a.a , a.b etc.