topic Re: Macro Variables and Extra Space in SAS Programming

Macro Variables and Extra Space

BCNAV — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 16:57:46 GMT

This is simple...but I'm stumped. I have:

data ESRA.&month_label._&year_want; set ESRA.CURRENTMONTH; run;

This makes a dataset called MARCH_2019

I would like MARCH 2019 (note the no underscore). I have tried a bunch of different ways but I know the marco references can be a bit strange when spaces are concerned.

Thanks

Re: Macro Variables and Extra Space

Astounding — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 17:00:40 GMT

Nothing to do with macro language.

Data set names are not allowed to contain a blank.

Re: Macro Variables and Extra Space

Tom — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 17:09:26 GMT

Don't do that. You can put the space in the label.

data ESRA.&month_label._&year_want (label="&month_label. &year_want"); 
  set ESRA.CURRENTMONTH; 
run;

If you really want to then you will need to use a name literal.

options validmemname=extend;
data ESRA."&month_label. &year_want"n (label="&month_label. &year_want"); 
  set ESRA.CURRENTMONTH; 
run;

Re: Macro Variables and Extra Space

Kurt_Bremser — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 17:51:43 GMT

Don't do that. See Maxim 44.

Re: Macro Variables and Extra Space

BCNAV — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 18:09:26 GMT

thanks all....I had forgotten about the space....I was asked to see if it could be done. Cheers!