topic select into macro variable - no row selected with single quotation mark in SAS Programming

select into macro variable - no row selected with single quotation mark

ZRick — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 04:30:49 GMT

why this marco doesn't work:

%macro t(var=);

proc sql;

select name into: name from sashelp.class where name='&var.';

quit;

%put _user_;

%mend;

%t(var=Henry);

what is wrong with my single quotation mark?

Re: select into macro variable - no row selected with single quotation mark

Tom — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 04:53:11 GMT

Macro language references are not expanded when enclosed in single quote marks. Use double quote character instead.

name = "&var"

Re: select into macro variable - no row selected with single quotation mark

ZRick — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 05:20:30 GMT

is this the only main difference when choosing to use single or double quotation?

I always thought single/double quotation can be used interchangeably.

Re: select into macro variable - no row selected with single quotation mark

Haikuo — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 05:52:52 GMT

Good topic for a SUG paper. Their differences seem to be more than just that. Especially when you refer Windows path ( X command, etc) or using SQL pass-thru ( well, to be fair, that is NOT a difference within SAS).

Haikuo

Re: select into macro variable - no row selected with single quotation mark

ZRick — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 08:20:51 GMT

Is it safe to say that double quote is more generic than single quote in passing macro variables?

Re: select into macro variable - no row selected with single quotation mark

Tom — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 14:51:04 GMT

Here is a nice write up in the on line documentation.

http://support.sas.com/documentation/cdl/en/mcrolref/61885/HTML/default/viewer.htm#a001071889.htm