topic Re: Do Loop using %scan in SAS Programming

Do Loop using %scan

hhchenfx — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 22:15:30 GMT

Hi,

Can you please help me with this looping process through name stored in NAMELIST variable?

I am not sure what is missing.

Thanks a lot!

Harry

The Error notice is:

ERROR: Macro function %SCAN has too many arguments. The excess arguments will be ignored.
ERROR: A character operand was found in the %EVAL function or %IF condition where a numeric
operand is required. The condition was: Alice
ERROR: Argument 2 to macro function %SCAN is not a number.
name 1 is
ERROR: The macro DOPRINT will stop executing.

proc sql ;
select name into :NAMELIST  separated by ','
from sashelp.class
; quit;
%put &NAMELIST ;

%macro doprint;
	%do i=1 %to 10;
		%put name &i is %scan(&NAMELIST,&i);
	%end;
%mend;
%doprint;

Re: Do Loop using %scan

PaigeMiller — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 22:24:04 GMT

This is a duplicate question. Please do not post duplicate questions. I have answered your question in your other thread at https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Programming/Proc-SQL-save-multiple-value-to-macro-variable/td-p/683788

Re: Do Loop using %scan

ballardw — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 22:25:56 GMT

Commas are the delimiter in the %scan function. You have placed commas in the body of your NAMELIST variable. So each comma appearing inside Namelist is treated as a delimiter resulting in "too many" parameters.

Your shown code will work if you use "separated by ' ' " in the select into.

Or use a quoting function to "hide" the commas from that use such as

%scan(%bquote(&NAMELIST) ,&i);