topic Re: ods excel START_AT changing for each table output in SAS Programming

ods excel START_AT changing for each table output

elsfy — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 12:39:27 GMT

Hi,

I am using a macro to repeat a proc report with macro-parameters taking different values.

I want to export all these proc report outputs to one sheet of an excel file. I managed to do it without problem.

Yet, i want the first proc report to start at column B (let's say for the first one B1)

The next ones starting at column A

And then another one starting at column B

How can i do that ?

I tried this but turns out all tables are starting at column B (B1 for the first table, B12 for the second table, etc..)

ods excel file = '' ; 
%macro report (in= , title = ...) ; 

proc report data = &in. ; 
.. ; 
run ; 

%mend ; 
ods excel options (start_at='B1') ; 
%report(in=a;title = ...) ; 
ods excel options (start_at='A12') ; 
%report(in=b,title ....) ;
%report(in=c,title ....) ;
%report(in=d,title ....) ;
ods excel options (start_at='B78') ; 
%report(in=e,title ....) ;
ods excel options (start_at='A91') ; 
%report(in=f,title ....) ;
%report(in=g,title ....) ;

Thanks

Re: ods excel START_AT changing for each table output

Reeza — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 15:15:51 GMT

Unfortunately you cannot change START_AT yet using ODS EXCEL in the method you're expecting here.
Hopefully that's something they update soon.

Re: ods excel START_AT changing for each table output

elsfy — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 15:17:50 GMT

Thank you for your answer.
Is there an alternative ?

Re: ods excel START_AT changing for each table output

ballardw — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 15:23:42 GMT

I don't think you'll be able to accomplish this with the START_AT option. From the documentation:

(START_AT='string')

specifies a starting cell for the report. The default is to start at column 1 and row 1.

Default 1,1

Tip This option cannot be changed in the middle of a sheet.

(emphasis added for the tip line above). That means the first start_at is where all the tables on that Excel sheet will start.

You may be able to generate something that looks like what you want by conditionally setting options in the PROC report to insert blank column(s) without left, top and bottom borders or any displayed content values for a column.

Re: ods excel START_AT changing for each table output

Reeza — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 15:27:42 GMT

Depends on how formatted your tables are.

If it's a basic table, using PROC EXPORT is one method instead, where you can export to a specific range and specify the starting part of the range using Sheet1A1:0 where 0 allows the table to be dynamic in size.

But if you have formatting I'm not aware of an easy workaround at this time.

Default	1,1
Tip	This option cannot be changed in the middle of a sheet.