topic Re: Using %Let in text file in SAS Programming

Using %Let in text file

sasboy007 — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 15:40:25 GMT

Hi all,

I have a txt file called mytext that has the following:

%LET name1=Customers;

And then in my SAS program I have:

filename macro1 "C:\mytext.txt";

%include macro1;

create table mylib.&name1_new as select * from
connection to oracle(

select *
from old_customers
);

run;

Everything in the my SAS program works However, I'm getting a "WARNING: symbolic reference error for name1 not resolved." Is the problem the macro setup in the text file?

Thanks.

Re: Using %Let in text file

nehareddy — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 16:11:54 GMT

While using a macro name &name1 in a program, I think you need to use the delimiter "." at the end of your macro name which tells SAS, it's the end of the macro name. Like in &name1._new

Re: Using %Let in text file

sasboy007 — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 16:25:29 GMT

Yeah, I added that but still getting the name not resolved error.

Re: Using %Let in text file

sasboy007 — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 16:38:16 GMT

Ok I think I figured it out.

I had to place the below inside my proc sql statement. Before it was was sitting outside and most likely not in the same "scope".

filename macro1 "C:\mytext.txt";

%include macro1;

Unless there is a better way of doing it. Thanks.

Re: Using %Let in text file

RW9 — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 17:00:09 GMT

Well, I think that if you put options mlogic syblogen mprint; on you may see that the thing resolves as something like:

create table mylib.Customers _new as ...

The macro variable may need %trim'ing.

I have to say though, why create macro variables in an include file?

Re: Using %Let in text file

sasboy007 — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 18:31:37 GMT

Reason I put macro variables in include file is because I have 5 different SAS files that generate SQL "where" statements. Instead of going into each SAS file and updating "Where" statements I have one universal Include file which handles variable assignment. What do you think?

Re: Using %Let in text file

RW9 — Wed, 01 Oct 2014 09:38:18 GMT

Personally I would put them in a SAS dataset and then call them from there. Really depends on how much information though.