topic Re: How to create leading zeros in a macro? in SAS Programming

How to create leading zeros in a macro?

sfmeier — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:39:30 GMT

In a macro I am using the code
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%SYSFUNC(catx(_,&number ,%SYSFUNC(Intnx(qtr, &dvar, 0, end), DDMMYYP10.)))

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to create the output

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5_30.06.2013

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How can I create a dynamic leading zero?

Re: How to create leading zeros in a macro?

Astounding — Tue, 22 May 2012 16:47:11 GMT

Try replacing &number with:

%sysfunc(putn(&number, z2))

Messy, but it should work.

This assumes that &number is always less than 100, and you only want a leading zero when &number < 10.

Re: How to create leading zeros in a macro?

sfmeier — Tue, 22 May 2012 16:51:06 GMT

I tried exactly that, but it does not work 😞

Re: How to create leading zeros in a macro?

Astounding — Tue, 22 May 2012 16:59:41 GMT

OK, you actually made me test my code. It does work for me. There are subtle parts of the syntax, such as PUTN instead of PUT, and no period at the end of the format name. Can you post what you coded, and the results?

This is what worked:

%let n=5;

%let newn = %sysfunc(putn(&n, z2));

Re: How to create leading zeros in a macro?

data_null__ — Tue, 22 May 2012 17:22:41 GMT

Looks like CATX is treating the number like a number. You don't need CATX.

405 %let number=5;

406 %let dvar=%sysfunc(today());

407 %PUT NOTE: %sysfunc(putN(&number,z2))_%SYSFUNC(Intnx(qtr, &dvar, 0, end), DDMMYYP10.);

NOTE: 05_30.06.2012

Re: How to create leading zeros in a macro?

sfmeier — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:28:55 GMT

Ok, cool, thx! It works perfectly without catx... 🙂