SAS Macro unidentified error (ERROR: Invalid symbolic variable name ,.)

mlino — Wed, 12 May 2021 16:32:05 GMT

I'm trying to identify an error that doesn't prevent a table be created but is calling the attention of our error tracking script. So, every time this error is logged, I get a message about it sent by our error tracking routine.
Here is the straightforward code:

%macro createDec(var);

%local _fse1_dec10, _fse1_dec20, _fse1_dec30, _fse1_dec40, _fse1_dec50, _fse1_dec60, _fse1_dec70, _fse1_dec80, _fse1_dec90;

data tbl_out;
	 retain year month mvt cd_cust pub ebb fse_1 fse_2;
	 merge tbl_tmp0001(where=(pub = &var and mvt = &_movAnt and fse_1 ne .) in=a keep= year month mvt cd_cust ebb pub fse rename= fse=fse_1)
		   tbl_tmp0001(where=(mvt = &_movAtl) in=b keep= mvt cd_cust fse rename= fse=fse_2);
	by cd_cust;
	if a;
run;		

proc univariate noprint data = tbl_out;
  var fse_1;
  output out=Pctls_t_3 pctlpts=10 to 90 by 10 pctlpre=decil_;
run;

proc sql noprint;
	select	*
			into:_fse1_dec10, :_fse1_dec20, :_fse1_dec30, :_fse1_dec40, :_fse1_dec50,
				:_fse1_dec60, :_fse1_dec70, :_fse1_dec80, :_fse1_dec90
   from pctls_t_3;
quit;

%mend;

%createDec("0_1");

We have two global variables called _movAtl and _movAnt that represents the year and month, e.g., 202010, 202101, etc. Every time I run the script, I got the following error:

53         %createDec("0_1");
2                                                          The SAS System                              07:36 Wednesday, May 12, 2021

ERROR: Invalid symbolic variable name ,.
ERROR: Invalid symbolic variable name ,.
ERROR: Invalid symbolic variable name ,.
ERROR: Invalid symbolic variable name ,.
ERROR: Invalid symbolic variable name ,.
ERROR: Invalid symbolic variable name ,.
ERROR: Invalid symbolic variable name ,.
ERROR: Invalid symbolic variable name ,.

SYMBOLGEN:  Macro variable VAR resolves to "0_1"
SYMBOLGEN:  Macro variable _MOVANT resolves to 202010
SYMBOLGEN:  Macro variable _MOVATL resolves to 202001

NOTE: There were 10465412 observations read from the data set WORK.TBL_TMP0001.
      WHERE (pub='0_1') and (mvt=202010) and (fse_1 not = .);
NOTE: There were 0 observations read from the data set WORK.TBL_TMP0001.
      WHERE mvt=202001;
NOTE: The data set WORK.TBL_OUT has 10465412 observations and 8 variables.
NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):
      real time           6.00 seconds
      cpu time            1.82 seconds
      
NOTE: The data set WORK.PCTLS_T_3 has 1 observations and 9 variables.
NOTE: PROCEDURE UNIVARIATE used (Total process time):
      real time           35.52 seconds
      cpu time            10.90 seconds

NOTE: PROCEDURE SQL used (Total process time):
      real time           0.00 seconds

I was unable to determine what's causing that error listed in the running log, but the table was created. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Marcio Souza

Re: SAS Macro unidentified error (ERROR: Invalid symbolic variable name ,.)

Reeza — Wed, 12 May 2021 16:38:12 GMT

Remove the commas in the %LOCAL statement between the variables. I count 8 errors and 8 comma's so that should fix your issue.

Re: SAS Macro unidentified error (ERROR: Invalid symbolic variable name ,.)

Tom — Wed, 12 May 2021 16:44:43 GMT

You cannot include a comma in macro variable (aka symbol) name.

You tried to make a macro variable named: _fse1_dec10,

Re: SAS Macro unidentified error (ERROR: Invalid symbolic variable name ,.)

mlino — Wed, 12 May 2021 16:46:24 GMT

Thank you Reeza!

I haven't even noticed that there were commas between the variables. I have copied the from an email and pasted into the code.

Regards

Re: SAS Macro unidentified error (ERROR: Invalid symbolic variable name ,.)

mlino — Wed, 12 May 2021 16:55:07 GMT

Thank you Tom! Yeap that was the problem as I stated above.

topic Re: SAS Macro unidentified error (ERROR: Invalid symbolic variable name ,.) in SAS Programming

SAS Macro unidentified error (ERROR: Invalid symbolic variable name ,.)

Re: SAS Macro unidentified error (ERROR: Invalid symbolic variable name ,.)

Re: SAS Macro unidentified error (ERROR: Invalid symbolic variable name ,.)

Re: SAS Macro unidentified error (ERROR: Invalid symbolic variable name ,.)

Re: SAS Macro unidentified error (ERROR: Invalid symbolic variable name ,.)