topic Re: How to resolve macro variable with quotes? in SAS Programming

How to resolve macro variable with quotes?

maozsoy — Tue, 03 Mar 2020 15:00:58 GMT

Hello,

I'am using SAS EG 7.3. I am trying to resolve a macro variable but i didn't. How can i do this? I am trying different two format.

Thank you,

/* method-1 */

proc sql noprint;
	select 	count(distinct(name))  into: abc
	from 	dictionary.columns
	where
	libname = 'aaa' and  memname = "%str(%'bbb_&M0.%')" ;
quit;

/* method-2 */

proc sql noprint;
	select 	count(distinct(name))  into: abc
	from 	dictionary.columns
	where
	libname = 'aaa' and  memname = 'bbb_&M0.';
quit;

Re: How to resolve macro variable with quotes?

yabwon — Tue, 03 Mar 2020 15:11:52 GMT

Try:

proc sql noprint;
	select 	count(distinct(name))  into: abc
	from 	dictionary.columns
	where
	libname = 'aaa' and  memname = "bbb_&M0.";
quit;

Bart

Re: How to resolve macro variable with quotes?

ballardw — Tue, 03 Mar 2020 15:31:09 GMT

@maozsoy wrote:

Hello,

I'am using SAS EG 7.3. I am trying to resolve a macro variable but i didn't. How can i do this? I am trying different two format.

Thank you,
/* method-1 */

proc sql noprint;
	select 	count(distinct(name))  into: abc
	from 	dictionary.columns
	where
	libname = 'aaa' and  memname = "%str(%'bbb_&M0.%')" ;
quit;

/* method-2 */

proc sql noprint;
	select 	count(distinct(name))  into: abc
	from 	dictionary.columns
	where
	libname = 'aaa' and  memname = 'bbb_&M0.';
quit;

macro variable values between single quotes do not resolve. So your memname='bbb_&M0.' will not resolve the value.

A quick example:

%let macv = sometext;

%put '&macv.';
%put "&macv.";

The Log will show the second put with the macro variable resolved.

Re: How to resolve macro variable with quotes?

Tom — Tue, 03 Mar 2020 19:46:56 GMT

Note that even if you get your macro variables to resolve by using double quotes instead of single quotes, your query will not find any matches. The MEMNAME and LIBNAME values into the DICTIONARY tables (views) are uppercase only. So you can never match 'aaa'.

Re: How to resolve macro variable with quotes?

maozsoy — Tue, 03 Mar 2020 20:43:07 GMT

Thank you for your warning. Actually memname and libname vars are uppercase in my real code, i just changed in sample code 🙂