topic Re: Programming in SAS Programming

Resolve macro variable with quotes

cca8380 — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 06:38:22 GMT

How can I accomplish the following:
%put &q_start_date --> resolves to 01MAR2022
what I need the variable to resolve to is '01MAR2022'

Can anyone help me with the issue.

Thanks in advance!

Macro variable value

PaigeMiller — Thu, 22 Sep 2022 19:20:05 GMT

Better to apply the quotes when the macro variable is used, rather than include the quotes in the macro variable value. So when the macro variable is used, for example in a DATA step, you can do something like this

if date > "&q_start_date"d then ... ;

If that's not what you are looking for, please be more specific about how this macro variable will be used.

Re: Programming

Reeza — Thu, 22 Sep 2022 19:29:19 GMT

How are you creating the macro variable? Usually fixing it in that step is preferable. And why are single quotes needed? Double quotes will allow a macro variable to resolve correctly.

Re: Programming

Tom — Thu, 22 Sep 2022 19:39:35 GMT

If you can use double quotes (as you should be able to in normal SAS code) then just use:

%put "&q_start_date";

If you need the single quotes use %bquote().

%put %bquote('&q_start_date');

If the macro quoting added by %BQUOTE() causes trouble remove it.

%put %unquote(%bquote('&q_start_date'));

Re: Programming

Kurt_Bremser — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 03:06:39 GMT

How do you intend to use the macro variable? If you need it for comparisons or calculations, store the raw date value. See Maxim 28.