topic Re: Symget to get values of the variables in SAS Programming

Symget to get values of the variables

David_Billa — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 18:24:50 GMT

```
Data test(keep=x y);
Set have;
x=symget('field_list');
*macro variable field_list resolves to id!!age!!sex
y=id!!age!!sex;
run; 
```
In the above code I except the variables x and y to produce the same value in the output but in the variable 'x' I'm getting values as 'id!!age!!sex' instead of the respective values of those variables. What I'm missing while I creating the variable 'x'?
Variable y producing the values of variables 'id!!age!!sex' which is available in have dataset in the output. E.g.'00125M'

Astounding — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 18:29:13 GMT

You are vastly overcomplicating the problem. SYMGET is not needed to retrieve the value of a macro variable. Simply use:

x = &field_list;

David_Billa — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 18:32:11 GMT

I tried this method already and it is producing the same result as it
produce with symget function.

Astounding — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 18:34:01 GMT

Then you will need to show the log, as well as the results from this statement:

%put *&field_list*;

David_Billa — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 18:39:11 GMT

I don't have SAS at the moment to send you the log.But I remember that the
macro variable resolved to 'id!!age!!sex'

Tom — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 19:03:43 GMT

If the macro variable has the quotes in it then you need to remove them.

So if you have:

%let macrovar='id!!age!!sex';

And you use this statement in a data step:

x = %sysfunc(dequote(&macrovar));

Then it is the same as using this statement:

x = id!!age!!sex ;

Shmuel — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 19:05:28 GMT

X will get the macro variable as on long string 'id!!age!!sex';

Y will concatenate the values of the 3 variables mentioned: ID, age, sex.

AS long those 3 variables exist in HAVE table you'll get different result, otherwise a warning.

To get the same result you should assign y='id!!age!!sex';

David_Billa — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 21:42:11 GMT

Macro variable don't have quotes in it. So can I tackle it with only
%sysfunc function by removing deqoute function per your post?

Tom — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 21:58:11 GMT

If the macro variable does not have quotes then just expand the macro variable to generate the code.
x = &macrovar ;

Tom — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 22:02:38 GMT

They should NOT produce the same value.

The first is getting the value of the macro variable as a character string.

The second is concatenating the values of three dataset variables.

If you want them to produce the same values then perhaps you don't want to use SYMGET() at all. Just expand the macro variable.

x=&field_list;
y=id!!age!!sex;

So to the data step that will be the same as if you typed:

x=id!!age!!sex;
y=id!!age!!sex;