topic Syntax error with do loop in SAS Programming

Syntax error with do loop

adzoyi — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 17:31:35 GMT

Can i get help with this SAS steps I wrote. I am new to SAS and I cannot figure out why I am having errors in the log.

data MSM_IDU;
set testing_data ;
format risk $10.;
if x742 ne '1' then risk='UNKNOWN';
else if g124 in ('1' '3') then do;
if g216a='1' then do;
if g402='1' then risk='MSM/IDU';
else risk='MSM';
end;
RUN;

Re: Syntax error with do loop

ed_sas_member — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 17:36:58 GMT

Hi @adzoyi

It's hard to say without some data to play with.

It seems that an 'end' statement is missing at the end of the program to close the Do loop:

data MSM_IDU;
	set testing_data;
	format risk $10.;

	if x742 ne '1' then risk='UNKNOWN';
	else if g124 in ('1' '3') then
		do;
			if g216a='1' then
				do;
					if g402='1' then
						risk='MSM/IDU';
					else
						risk='MSM';
				end;
		end; /* <<-- to be added*/
run;

Tip: to facilitate the identification of syntax error, do not hesitate to format your code and use proper indentation.

Best,

Re: Syntax error with do loop

ballardw — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 17:50:43 GMT

When you get an error best practice for this forum is to copy from the Log the data step or Proc code along with all the messages. The Paste into a code box opened with the </> icon to preserve formatting. The main message windows will reformat text so the diagnostic characters that SAS often supplies do not appear in the correct place.

An example:

190  data junk;
191     set sashelp.class;
192     if sex='F' then do;
193        junk=age*weight;
194  run;

194  run;
        -
        117
ERROR 117-185: There was 1 unclosed DO block.

NOTE: The SAS System stopped processing this step because of errors.
WARNING: The data set WORK.JUNK may be incomplete.  When this step was stopped there were 0
         observations and 6 variables.
WARNING: Data set WORK.JUNK was not replaced because this step was stopped.

The message is moderately clear: there was Do statement without a matching End to close the Do block.

The diagnostic characters appear with the Run statement in this case as it ends the data step and is the first thing SAS can indicate as "not an end statement".

Re: Syntax error with do loop

ghosh — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 18:34:17 GMT

missing comma in the IN stmt and a missing end

else if g124 in ('1' , '3') then

* full code;
data MSM_IDU;
set testing_data ;
format risk $10.;
if x742 ne '1' then risk='UNKNOWN';
else if g124 in ('1', '3') then do;
if g216a='1' then do;
if g402='1' then risk='MSM/IDU';
else risk='MSM';
end;
end;
RUN;

Re: Syntax error with do loop

AMSAS — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 18:40:53 GMT

Looks like other community members beat me to the punch.
I'd like to add it's a good idea to format/indent your code which makes it easier to debug

data MSM_IDU;
	set testing_data ;
	format risk $10.;
	if x742 ne '1' then 
		risk='UNKNOWN';
	else 
	if g124 in ('1', /* <-- NEED THIS COMMA HERE */ '3') then do;
		if g216a='1' then do;
			if g402='1' then risk='MSM/IDU';
			else risk='MSM';
		end;
	end ; /* <-- NEED THIS EXTRA END */
RUN;