topic Re: transfer data from iml using macros in SAS Programming

transfer data from iml using macros

thryce85 — Wed, 22 Dec 2021 04:02:08 GMT

hows it going? just started learning iml and was wondering if there is a way to transfer data without having to send the matrix to a dataset . something along the lines of using a macro like below . thanks !

proc iml ;
start times( a , b);
x= a*b ;
%let y = x; *totally doesnt work;
print( x ) ;

finish times;
call times(4,5) ;
run;

%put ----------&y ;

Re: transfer data from iml using macros

Reeza — Wed, 22 Dec 2021 04:23:29 GMT

What do you mean by 'transfer data'?

Re: transfer data from iml using macros

Tom — Wed, 22 Dec 2021 04:32:32 GMT

You can use the same function to assign values to macro variables in IML that you would use in a DATA step. CALL SYMPUTX().

https://blogs.sas.com/content/iml/2011/10/17/does-symput-work-in-iml.html

Re: transfer data from iml using macros

PeterClemmensen — Wed, 22 Dec 2021 08:25:09 GMT

proc iml ;
start times( a , b);
x= a*b ;
call symputx('y', x);
print( x ) ;

finish times;
call times(4,5) ;
run;


%put ----------&y ;

Re: transfer data from iml using macros

PaigeMiller — Wed, 22 Dec 2021 10:56:18 GMT

@thryce85 wrote:

hows it going? just started learning iml and was wondering if there is a way to transfer data without having to send the matrix to a dataset . something along the lines of using a macro like below . thanks !

proc iml ;
start times( a , b);
x= a*b ;
%let y = x; *totally doesnt work;
print( x ) ;

finish times;
call times(4,5) ;
run;

%put ----------&y ;

Why would you want to switch to macro variables when DATA sets were designed to contain data for later use in SAS? I can see if there's only one value computed by IML that you want to transfer, a macro variable is a pretty simple way. If there is lots of data you want to transfer, macro variables are a very poor choice.

Also, you talk about macros, but you do not have macros, you have macro variables. Just for your future understanding and clearness of communications, macros and macro variables are two different things, and macro variables (which you have here) should not be referred to as macros.