topic Re: How to include a data step macro inside another macro with %include? in SAS Programming

How to include a data step macro inside another macro with %include?

windlove — Sun, 23 May 2021 16:15:18 GMT

I have a few programs doing data preparations. One of them has a macro wrap on a %do loop to subset the data. When I try to run all those programs inside another macro with %include and %do loop, that data program with macro would always be skipped.

Here "6. program.sas" is the program with macro wrap., and %run_test always skips it.

	%let program1 = %str(1. program.sas);
	%let program2 = %str(2. program.sas);
	%let program3 = %str(3. program.sas);
	%let program4 = %str(4. program.sas);
	%let program5 = %str(5. program.sas);

	/* report programs */
	%let program6 = %str(6. program.sas);
	%let program7 = %str(7. program.sas);

	%macro run_test;
		%local i;
		%do i = 1 %to 7;
			%include "%sysfunc(catx(\, &sasDir., &&program&i))";
		%end;

	%mend;
	%run_test;

However, if I have the previous 5 programs run already, and the %do loop start from the 6th program. Then it would run successfully.

	%macro run_test;
		%local i;
		%do i = 6 %to 7;
			%include "%sysfunc(catx(\, &sasDir., &&program&i))";
		%end;

	%mend;
	%run_test;

What would be the reason for this, and how can I resolve this?

Re: How to include a data step macro inside another macro with %include?

windlove — Sun, 23 May 2021 17:00:32 GMT

oooops.

After posting the question here, suddenly problem solved.

I just move the %include statement after a %goto. My actual program looks like this

All the programs run successfully, but the 6th program now cannot be resolved in &&program&i.

I have 1-5, and 7, printed out as in

put #3 @5 " The SAS program '&&program&i.' is in the right place";

, but not the 6th program.

%macro runProgram();

		%local i ;
		%do i = 1 %to 7;
			%let runfile = %sysfunc(catx(\, &sasDir., &&program&i));
			%if %sysfunc(fileexist("&runfile.")) = 0 %then %do;
				data _null_;
					file print;
					put #1 @5 "Error **************************************************************";
		        	put #3 @5 "Error The SAS programs  '&&program&i.'  does not exist"  ;
					put #4 @5 "Error Please check whether the program name or the the directory is correct";
					put #6 @5 "Error *************************************************************";
				run;
				%goto endRun;	
			%end;
			%else %do;
				data _null_ ;
					file print;
					put #1 @5 "*******************************************************";
					put #3 @5 " The SAS program '&&program&i.' is in the right place";
					put #5 @5 "******************************************************";
				run;
				%goto runProg;
				%runProg:
					%include "&runfile.";
			%end;
		%end;

		%endRun:
	%mend; 
	%runProgram;

Re: How to include a data step macro inside another macro with %include?

sbxkoenk — Sun, 23 May 2021 18:23:19 GMT

Hello @windlove ,

I have no idea why your macro stumbles upon the 6th program??

You can consider alternative code, like this one:

Note the comment sections (they contain some important remarks)!

/* IMPORTANT !! This program assumes that the alphabetical sort order of the     */
/* .sas programs is also the order in which the programs have to be submitted !! */

%LET directory=%STR(C:\abc);

/* Collect all .sas programs (files) in a dataset named WORK.mySASprograms_inDir */
data mySASprograms_inDir;
length fref $8 fnamesas $400;
did = filename(fref,"&directory.");
did = dopen(fref);
do i = 1 to dnum(did);
  fnamesas = dread(did,i);
  fnamesas = "&directory"!!'\'!!strip(fnamesas);
  if upcase(scan(fnamesas,-1,'.')) = 'SAS' then output;
end;
did = dclose(did);
did = filename(fref);
keep fnamesas;
run;

/* delete the .sas programs you do not want */
data mySASprograms_inDir;
 set mySASprograms_inDir;
 where fnamesas NOT CONTAINS 'PATHJSCORECODE.sas';
run;

proc sort data=mySASprograms_inDir; by fnamesas; run;

/* How many SAS programs are there?? */
data _NULL_;
 if 0 then set mySASprograms_inDir nobs=count;
 call symput('numobs',strip(put(count,8.)));
 STOP;
run;
%PUT &=numobs;

/* EXECUTE (SUBMIT) the first 2 .sas programs */
options source2;
data _NULL_;
 set mySASprograms_inDir;
 if _N_ < 3 then call execute('%INCLUDE "' !! strip(fnamesas) !! '";');
run;
/* end of program */

Koen

Re: How to include a data step macro inside another macro with %include?

Tom — Mon, 24 May 2021 01:48:19 GMT

Most likely program #5 is setting the macro variable I to the value 6 so the %DO loop increments it to 7 and so skips the sixth.

The solution is to either fix program number 5 (or your %DO loop) to not modify the macro variable used for the loop.

Or don't use a macro for the loop.

data _null_;
  length filename $256 ;
  do i=1 to 7;
    filename=catx('\',symget('sasdir'),symget(cats('program',i)));
    call execute('%include '||quote(trim(filename)));
  end;
run;

Re: How to include a data step macro inside another macro with %include?

windlove — Mon, 24 May 2021 03:58:36 GMT

Thanks for both suggestions. But unfortunately it's not working.

I think it has something to do with the macro wrapper inside #6 program, in which it has the steps like below. This may cause non-compilation of #6 within another %do loop in another macro.

data steps;
x
y
z
%macro data;
a
b
c
%mend;
%data;

I have fixed the problem by wrapping all 7 programs with a macro, and keep the macro name same as the file name. Such that, I can do something like. Now it is working without any issues.

%do i = 1 %to 7;
	%let runfile = %sysfunc(catx(\, &sasDir., &&program&i));
    %let macroName = %scan(&&program&i., 2, " .");
	%include "&runfile.";
	%&macroName.;	
%end;

Re: How to include a data step macro inside another macro with %include?

ballardw — Mon, 24 May 2021 17:09:09 GMT

@windlove wrote:

Thanks for both suggestions. But unfortunately it's not working.

I think it has something to do with the macro wrapper inside #6 program, in which it has the steps like below. This may cause non-compilation of #6 within another %do loop in another macro.
data steps;
x
y
z
%macro data;
a
b
c
%mend;
%data;
I have fixed the problem by wrapping all 7 programs with a macro, and keep the macro name same as the file name. Such that, I can do something like. Now it is working without any issues.
%do i = 1 %to 7;
	%let runfile = %sysfunc(catx(\, &sasDir., &&program&i));
    %let macroName = %scan(&&program&i., 2, " .");
	%include "&runfile.";
	%&macroName.;	
%end;

Are you attempting to use a MACRO as datalines?

I would think anything as static as your example of the %data macro would be better off in a permanent data set and used from there. Or have you "simplified" past the point of usability?

Re: How to include a data step macro inside another macro with %include?

Tom — Mon, 24 May 2021 18:48:29 GMT

Converting the code inside the include file will only work if you also include a %LOCAL statement to make sure the loop counter used in the calling program not overwritten.

So the %LOCAL I statement in this definition of %PROGRAM5 is what is preventing %PROGRAM6 from being skipped.

%macro program5 ;
   %local i;
....
  %let i=6 ;
...
%mend program5;
...
%do i=5 %to 7;
  %program&i ;
%end;

Re: How to include a data step macro inside another macro with %include?

windlove — Mon, 24 May 2021 23:55:53 GMT

I did try this in the first instance to include a %local loop in both #6, and the script calling it, and also made sure the loop index names were different, not using i or j in both.

Re: How to include a data step macro inside another macro with %include?

windlove — Mon, 24 May 2021 23:59:23 GMT

No, not using macro as datalines. It was just an example to show how my program was structured. The macro is just a part of #6, which is doing some data processing in the middle of the whole program.

Re: How to include a data step macro inside another macro with %include?

SASKiwi — Tue, 25 May 2021 01:59:52 GMT

The problems you are having are a good argument for not using nested macros.

Why not consider a different approach completely? What about creating a list of the programs you want to run then use a DATA step and then use CALL EXECUTE to do the %INCLUDEs:

 %let Run_Pgm_List = proj1*proj2*proj3;
 %let app_saspgm_dir = C:\temp;

data _null_;
  length Run_Pgm_List 1024;
  Run_Pgm_List = symget('Run_Pgm_List');
  pgm_count = countw(Run_Pgm_List, '*');
  if pgm_count ge 1 then do pgm_num = 1 to pgm_count;
    pgm_name = scan(Run_Pgm_List, pgm_num, '*');
    call execute('%include "&app_saspgm_dir.\' !! strip(pgm_name) !! '.sas";');
  end;
run;

Re: How to include a data step macro inside another macro with %include?

windlove — Tue, 25 May 2021 07:06:18 GMT

I was thinking about this, but reluctant to do it. As the nested macro is just part of the data flows depending on the previous data processing in #6, and I don't want to make it into a stand-alone macro function or separate it from the data processing.