topic Re: Macro variable count in Work Libraray in SAS Programming

Macro variable count in Work Libraray

BrahmanandaRao — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 13:54:54 GMT

%let a=1;
%let b=New York;
%let c=12.5;

proc sql;
select scope,count(scope) label ='MACRO VARIABLE COUNT'
from dictionary.vmacro;
quit;

Here I want to count defined macro variables count in work libraray

Re: Macro variable count in Work Libraray

Tom — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 14:03:17 GMT

The WORK library contains SAS datasets, catalogs etc. Macro variables just live in memory. You can see them using the DICTIONARY.MACROS table or SASHELP.VMACRO view to it.

If you want to count the number of macro variables then count the distinct names per scope.

proc sql;
 create table n_mvars as
  select scope,count(distinct name) as mvars
  from dictionary.macros
  group by scope
 ;
quit;

Results:

Obs    scope         mvars

 1     AUTOMATIC       72
 2     GLOBAL          71

Re: Macro variable count in Work Libraray

novinosrin — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 14:05:21 GMT

Hi @BrahmanandaRao I am not quite sure what's your question or the problem. I do understand you want to query dictionary tables that contain Macro related info. Since you are using Dictionary.XXXX tables, you should be directly querying the table MACRO instead of the VIEW aka VMACRO.

For example-

from dictionary.macros;

instead of

dictionary.vmacro;

Re: Macro variable count in Work Libraray

BrahmanandaRao — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 14:47:05 GMT

I defined three macro variables so how yo count only user defined macros variable in work library

Re: Macro variable count in Work Libraray

PaigeMiller — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 14:51:42 GMT

@BrahmanandaRao wrote:
I defined three macro variables so how yo count only user defined macros variable in work library

The answer is ZERO. Macro variables are not in the WORK library. (Which was already explained by @Tom who said "The WORK library contains SAS datasets, catalogs etc. Macro variables just live in memory.")

Re: Macro variable count in Work Libraray

Ksharp — Sat, 10 Jul 2021 10:34:17 GMT

Use %put _user_; to get these user defined macro variables.

filename tmp temp;
proc printto log=tmp new;run;

%let a=1;
%let b=New York;
%let c=12.5;
%let d=12.5;


proc print data=sashelp.class;run;
%put start;
%put _user_;
%put end;
proc printto;run;



data _null_;
infile tmp  end=last;
input;
retain start;
if _infile_=: 'start' then start=1;
if start then n_macro_var+1;
if _infile_=: 'end' then do;
n_macro_var=n_macro_var-4;
putlog 'number of user defined macro variable is'  n_macro_var best8.;
stop;
end;
run;