topic Re: Resolving "apparent symbolic reference not resolved" error in SAS Programming

Resolving "apparent symbolic reference not resolved" error

eb175 — Tue, 26 May 2020 20:25:21 GMT

I found a sample program on the SAS website to import all .csv files from a directory here: https://documentation.sas.com/?docsetId=mcrolref&docsetTarget=n0ctmldxf23ixtn1kqsoh5bsgmg8.htm&docsetVersion=9.4&locale=en

I am trying to import several csv files using this macro. The only thing I've changed is the filepath reference when the macro is invoked at the end of the code and I get an error message saying "WARNING: Apparent symbolic reference CSV not resolved." I thought that inputting csv just told the macro what file extension is used for all the files in the folder. I know this warning message is usually the result of trying to use a global variable that has never been defined. I didn't think I was referencing a variable named "CSV." Does anyone know why I might be getting this error? Thanks!

%macro drive(dir,ext); 
   %local cnt filrf rc did memcnt name; 
   %let cnt=0;          

   %let filrf=mydir;    
   %let rc=%sysfunc(filename(filrf,&dir)); 
   %let did=%sysfunc(dopen(&filrf));
    %if &did ne 0 %then %do;   
   %let memcnt=%sysfunc(dnum(&did));    

    %do i=1 %to &memcnt;              
                       
      %let name=%qscan(%qsysfunc(dread(&did,&i)),-1,.);                    
                    
      %if %qupcase(%qsysfunc(dread(&did,&i))) ne %qupcase(&name) %then %do;
       %if %superq(ext) = %superq(&name) %then %do;                         
          %let cnt=%eval(&cnt+1);       
          %put %qsysfunc(dread(&did,&i));  
          proc import datafile="&dir\%qsysfunc(dread(&did,&i))" out=dsn&cnt 
           dbms=csv replace;            
          run;          
       %end; 
      %end;  

    %end;
      %end;
  %else %put &dir cannot be open.;
  %let rc=%sysfunc(dclose(&did));      
             
 %mend drive;
 
%drive(c:\temp,csv)

Re: Resolving "apparent symbolic reference not resolved" error

Reeza — Tue, 26 May 2020 20:28:15 GMT

Please show your log, including the error. You may want to add the macro debugging options as well.

options mprint symbolgen;

Re: Resolving "apparent symbolic reference not resolved" error

novinosrin — Tue, 26 May 2020 20:29:21 GMT

Hi @eb175 A quick look makes me spot

%if %superq(ext) = %superq(&name) %then %do; /*is this error as the syntax should be %superq(name) without the the ampersand &*/

Re: Resolving "apparent symbolic reference not resolved" error

eb175 — Tue, 26 May 2020 20:35:00 GMT

That was it - thank you very much!

Re: Resolving "apparent symbolic reference not resolved" error

Reeza — Wed, 27 May 2020 02:08:02 GMT

@SAS_CommAdmin Can you please get this changed in the documentation?

Thanks!