topic Re: writing a record using a hard-coded value outside a macro works great, but fails inside a macro in SAS Programming

writing a record using a hard-coded value outside a macro works great, but fails inside a macro

texasmfp — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 08:54:03 GMT

This code executes perfectly and creates the string "%let year_hyphen_month = 2021-03; %read_txt()" in the mcalls file.

filename mcalls catalog 'work.mycatalog.mcalls.source' ;
data _null_;
input ;
file mcalls ;
put _infile_ ; 
datalines4 ;
%let year_hyphen_month = 2021-03; %read_txt() 
;;;;

However, when I try to run it inside a macro and substitute the hard-coded year-month text (here "2021-03") it fails.

%macro get_data(yrmo);

filename mcalls catalog 'work.mycatalog.mcalls.source' ;
data _null_;
input ;
file mcalls ;
put _infile_ ; 
datalines4 ;
%let year_hyphen_month = &yrmo; %read_txt() 
;;;;
%exit: %mend get_data;

%get_data(2021-03)

ERROR: The macro GET_DATA generated CARDS (data lines) for the DATA step, which could cause incorrect results.  The DATA step
       and the macro will stop executing.
NOTE: 0 records were written to the file MCALLS.
NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):
      real time           0.02 seconds
      cpu time            0.00 seconds

ERROR: The macro GET_DATA will stop executing.

I believe there may actually be several issues, starting with use of datalines inside a macro.

I tried substituting input for datalines, but get a new error

164  filename mcalls catalog 'work.mycatalog.mcalls.source' ;
165  data _null_;
166  input ;
167  file mcalls ;
168  put _infile_ ;
169  input ;
170  %let year_hyphen_month = 2021-03; %read_txt()
171  ;;;;
172
173  %exit: %mend get_data;
174
175  %get_data(2021-03)
NOTE: Line generated by the invoked macro "GET_DATA".
3     %read_txt() ;;;;
      -
      180
WARNING: Apparent invocation of macro READ_TXT not resolved.
ERROR 180-322: Statement is not valid or it is used out of proper order.

Thanks

Re: writing a record using a hard-coded value outside a macro works great, but fails inside a macro

Kurt_Bremser — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 08:51:09 GMT

First of all, you are correct, DATALINES can not be used inside a macro, and macro triggers do not work in DATALINES blocks.

To create a variable code line, use a simple DATA step without DATALINES:

%macro get_data(yrmo);

filename mcalls catalog 'work.mycatalog.mcalls.source';

data _null_;
file mcalls ;
length string $100;
string = '%let year_hyphen_month = ' !! "&yrmo" !! '; %read_txt()');
put string;
run;

%mend get_data;

Re: writing a record using a hard-coded value outside a macro works great, but fails inside a macro

texasmfp — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 08:57:50 GMT

Thanks Kurt (after I fixed the extra ")"

Re: writing a record using a hard-coded value outside a macro works great, but fails inside a macro

Kurt_Bremser — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 08:59:56 GMT

Sorry, that extra ) was from a first try using a concatenating function.