topic Re: Macro variable resolution in SAS Programming

Macro variable resolution

robertrao — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 19:39:28 GMT

Hi Team,

I created a macro variable

%let monthyear=Aug1989

I am trying to use:

data want;

set have;

year="&monthyear";

run;

The year variable has blank values. Please correct me

Thanks

Re: Macro variable resolution

ballardw — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 19:43:34 GMT

Year is defaulting to numeric. Since Monthyear is character then the assignment results in missing.

You need

length year $ 7;

before the assignment statement.

Re: Macro variable resolution

robertrao — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 19:53:02 GMT

hi,

thanks for the reply.

u mean any macrovariable which contains a year in it is defaulted to NUMERIC??

Thanks

Re: Macro variable resolution

Haikuo — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 19:54:54 GMT

%let monthyear=Aug1989;

/*This works*/

data want;

year="&monthyear";

put year=;

run;

/*This not. So you must have a variable named 'year' in table 'have' that is numeric*/

data want;

year=0;

year="&monthyear";

put year=;

run;

Re: Macro variable resolution

robertrao — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 20:02:22 GMT

hi,

I tried The first one and doesnt work for me. I dont know why??

Also i dont have a variable called Year in my table at all!!!!!!

Thanks

Re: Macro variable resolution

Haikuo — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 20:06:10 GMT

Hmm, Have you tried restarting your SAS session?

Re: Macro variable resolution

robertrao — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 20:07:10 GMT

nooo...not since morning.I will try that too.

Thanks

Re: Macro variable resolution

ballardw — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 20:07:46 GMT

Post the log with the code run and errors or output.

Re: Macro variable resolution

Quentin — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 20:09:14 GMT

Hi,

Macro variables resolve to text. They resolve to SAS code.

So when you use:

%let monthyear=Aug1989
data want;
  set have;
  year="&monthyear";
run;

That should be the same as:

data want;
  set have;
  year="Aug1989";
run;

Often it's easier to debug the SAS code before jumping up a level of abstraction to debug the macro code.

If the SAS code isn't working, the macro language isn't the problem, or the solution.

HTH,

-Q.

Re: Macro variable resolution

robertrao — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 20:14:56 GMT

Thanks so much for all the inputs. I was missing a step!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry for the trouble

Re: Macro variable resolution

robertrao — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 13:24:20 GMT

Hi,

Thanks for the replies.

I have one final question on this. If i want the year as numeric variable(useful for sorting purposes instead of alphabetic months-years!!)

Do i need to create a fresh new variable from the obtained charecter variable and there is no other way to get it directly??

monthyear=08-1989;

data want;

set have;

year="&monthyear";

year_num=input(month_year,best.); /*if i do this i am getting as invalid argument to function input at line....and limit set by errors!!!!*/

run;

Thanks

Re: Macro variable resolution

ballardw — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 17:10:04 GMT

When dealing with dates look to Date informats.

Leaving you older macro definition for monthyear

%let monthyear=Aug1999;

data want;

year_num= year(input("&monyear",monyy7.));

or if you want to change to mm-yyyy

year_num = year(input(&monyear",anydtdte.));

You were probably getting errors because the variable month_year didn't exist in your data set and wasn't referencing the macro variable that was the topic of your question, &monthyear. Assuming the %let just didn't get posted.

Re: Macro variable resolution

robertrao — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 18:33:48 GMT

Hi Ballard,

as u said i dont have the month_year in my dataset. it is only a macro variable which is holding the value AUG1989

i want to create a new variable in my dataset with all the records holding the value in the macro variable

And SEP will have SEP1989 and so on

later I want to sort by the MONYYYY variable and NOT GET AUGUST AFTER APRIL

Thanks

Re: Macro variable resolution

bsanders — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 13:41:54 GMT

Robert -

There are a lot of advantages to using SAS dates. You can sort the dates chronologically and use the formats to deal with output.

---------------------------------------

%macro one;

/* Set the macro variable. */

%let myDate = Sep1999;

/* Create the data set. */

data alpha;

/* Add the macro variable to the dataset. */

_date0 = "&mydate";

/* Covert the macro variable to a SAS date. */

_date1 = input(_date0,monyy7.);

/* Once it's a SAS date, we can output it any way we need */

/* using the SAS formats. Using SAS date, you can sort */

/* dates knowing they'll be in chronological order. You */

/* just need to know the right format when it comes time */

/* to display the output. */

put "Month/Year: " _date1 mmyys7.;

put "Name of the month: " _date1 monname9.;

put "Day of the week + date: " _date1 weekdate29.;

run;

%mend one;

%one;

---------------------------------------

The results of the above code are:

Month/Year: 09/1999

Name of the month: September

Day of the week + date: Wednesday, September 1, 1999

---------------------------------------

I hope it helps.

Re: Macro variable resolution

robertrao — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 13:57:05 GMT

Thanks for the reply. That was of great help

what is the equalant format of mmyys7. to get year first and month next like: 1999/09

because for sorting purposes i beleive year has to be at the first otherwise

11-2013

11-2012 /*NOV OF 2012 is sorting with NOV 0f 2013 which we dont want since the first digits are 11(WOULD IT NOT)*/

10-2012

09-2013

08-2013

07-2013;

OR THAT HAPPEND IF THE DATE IS CHARECTER VARIABLE AND WE DONT NEED TO WORRY SINCE WE HAVE A NUMERIC DATE?????

Thanks

Re: Macro variable resolution

bsanders — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 14:28:17 GMT

Just swap the MMs and the YYs. - yymms7.

I've modified my code to show the same process with sorting and more months.

-----------------------------

%macro one;

/* -------------------------------------------- */

/* Set the macro variables. */

%let myDate1 = Sep1999;

%let myDate2 = Sep2000;

%let myDate3 = Dec1999;

%let myDate4 = Dec2000;

/* -------------------------------------------- */

/* Create the dataset with the text dates. */

data alpha;

%do i = 1 %to 4;

_date0 = "&&mydate&i";

output;

%end;

run;

/* -------------------------------------------- */

/* Convert the text dates to SAS dates. */

data beta;

set alpha;

_date1 = input(_date0,monyy7.);

run;

/* -------------------------------------------- */

/* Sort on the SAS dates. */

proc sort data=beta out=gamma;

by _date1;

run;

/* -------------------------------------------- */

/* Output */

data _null_;

set gamma;

put "* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *";

put "SAS Date: " _date1;

put "Month/Year: " _date1 mmyys7.;

put "Year/Month: " _date1 yymms7.;

put "Name of the month: " _date1 monname9.;

put "Day of the week + date: " _date1 weekdate29.;

run;

%mend one;

%one;

----------------------------

The results are:

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

SAS Date: 14488

Month/Year: 09/1999

Year/Month: 1999/09

Name of the month: September

Day of the week + date: Wednesday, September 1, 1999

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

SAS Date: 14579

Month/Year: 12/1999

Year/Month: 1999/12

Name of the month: December

Day of the week + date: Wednesday, December 1, 1999

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

SAS Date: 14854

Month/Year: 09/2000

Year/Month: 2000/09

Name of the month: September

Day of the week + date: Friday, September 1, 2000

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

SAS Date: 14945

Month/Year: 12/2000

Year/Month: 2000/12

Name of the month: December

Day of the week + date: Friday, December 1, 2000

Good luck.

Re: Macro variable resolution

robertrao — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 15:06:38 GMT

Thanks and well said

i understand it better now...

Thanks