topic Re: Defining a table title based on macro parameter in SAS Programming

Defining a table title based on macro parameter

mgrasmussen — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 13:54:10 GMT

Dear SAS experts

I would like to create a table where the title is defined depending on the macro parameter specified.
Below is a simple example of scenario. If "M" is specified I would like a title specific for "M",
and the same for "F". I cannot get it to work, but I suspect I need to somehow use %if and %else in the macro.
Can someone help with the code? Thanks.

data mydata;
set sashelp.class;
run;

*Creating tables;
%macro table(Sex=);

proc means data=mydata;
var Age;
where Sex="&Sex.";
%if &Sex.="M" %then %do;
Title "Table of: &Sex. (M text)";
%else %do;
Title "Table of: &Sex. (F text)";
%end;
run;

%mend;

%table(Sex=M);

%table(Sex=F);

Re: Defining a table title based on macro parameter

PaigeMiller — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 14:03:35 GMT

You have left out an %end; statement.

%macro table(Sex=);
    proc means data=mydata;
        var Age;
        where Sex="&Sex.";
        %if &Sex.="M" %then %do;
            Title "Table of: &Sex. (M text)";
        %end; /* This was left out and causes the problems */
        %else %do;
            Title "Table of: &Sex. (F text)";
        %end;
    run;
%mend;
%table(Sex=M)
%table(Sex=F)

If you indent your code properly, as I have done, these types of errors become more obvious.

You don't really need a macro for this, simply a macro variable.

%let sex=M;
proc means data=sashelp.class;
    var Age;
    where Sex="&sex";
    Title "Table of: &sex";
run;

Re: Defining a table title based on macro parameter

mgrasmussen — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 14:08:28 GMT

Dear PaigeMiller

Thanks.

I was not aware of the fact that I also needed a "%end" there. So, what was lacking was because of ignorance.

Regarding your second point, I want to include some additional text and not just the "&Sex." part. In the actual data what I want to specificy is that the statistics I am summarizing are based on different age group restrictions depending on the (disease) subgroup of the population. Therefore, I would like to be able to some how write this out.

Re: Defining a table title based on macro parameter

PaigeMiller — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 14:09:48 GMT

@mgrasmussen

All of which brings up the interesting, and extremely important question: why would you use a macro at all here? Why don't you just use a BY statement in PROC MEANS? This is probably the easiest way to do this. Splitting data sets up using macros or macro variables is usually a poor choice when BY processing is possible.

proc sort data=sashelp.class out=class;
    by sex;
run;

options nobyline;
ods noproctitle;
title "Table of #byval1";
proc means data=class;
    var age;
    by sex;
run;

Re: Defining a table title based on macro parameter

PaigeMiller — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 14:21:07 GMT

@mgrasmussen wrote:

Regarding your second point, I want to include some additional text and not just the "&Sex." part. In the actual data what I want to specificy is that the statistics I am summarizing are based on different age group restrictions depending on the (disease) subgroup of the population. Therefore, I would like to be able to some how write this out.

Be specific. Show us an actual example (or even a made up example) of what you are talking about here. Don't start us off with a problem that isn't really what you are trying to do, because obviously solving that original problem hasn't helped you.

Re: Defining a table title based on macro parameter

PaigeMiller — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 14:13:04 GMT

@mgrasmussen wrote:

I was not aware of the fact that I also needed a "%end" there. So, what was lacking was because of ignorance.

Every %DO has to have an associated %END;