topic Re: Lost with macro calls in SAS Programming

Lost with macro calls

Aboiron — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 07:09:10 GMT

I have several datasets, one for each geographical areas. What is a bit hard is that there are 96 areas, but for historical and administrative reasons, they are not indexed 01 to 96 but

01 02 ... 19 2A 2B 21 ...95

Then my datasets are indexed data_d01, data_d02, ... data_d19, data_d2a, data_d2b, data_d21, ... data_d95.

So what has been done until now and what I have trying to use is a table that has one variable, called dep2, which takes these values 01 02 ... 19 2A 2B 21 ...95

Then the way to do something for each dataset is to use the following lines

%macro MacroStandard();

data _null_;

set dep.dep2; /* table des (vrais) DEP reprise de RFL, POTE n'est plus par dir fiscale */

call symput('d'!!left(_n_),dep2); /* la var contenant le code du DEP s'appelle dep2 */

run;

%do i=1 %to 96 ;

data temporary;

set data_d&&d&i;

run;

%end;

%mend MacroStandard;

So now what I wanted to do is for each of this dataset, check if one variable exists. So I have found a %Varexist(dataset, variable) macro, that perfectly works when I do

%put %Varexist(data_d01, myvar)

But I want to do that for each area, so I have tried several combinations. I have now one that is working, but I definitely do not understand why at all, as it works since I have commentated a line to see what was happening, but does not work if I remove the line which is supposed not to be read.

Here is my program :

%macro TestDep ();

data _null_;

set dep.dep2;

call symput('d'!!left(_n_),dep2);

run;

%do i=1 %to 96

%put d&&d&i;

*%put %VarExist(PotePrec.pote&anprec._d&&d&i,_1DX);

%end;

%mend TestDep;

%TestDep()

I would gladly appreciate some help

EDIT 1 : Add the macro varexist

%macro VarExist(ds,var);

%local rc dsid result;

%let dsid=%sysfunc(open(&ds));

%if %sysfunc(varnum(&dsid,&var)) > 0 %then %do;

%let result=1;

%put NOTE: Var &var exists in &ds;

%end;

%else %do;

%let result=0;

%put NOTE: Var &var not exists in &ds;

%end;

%let rc=%sysfunc(close(&dsid));

&result

%mend VarExist;

Re: Lost with macro calls

Kurt_Bremser — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 07:18:31 GMT

See

http://support.sas.com/documentation/cdl/en/mcrolref/61885/HTML/default/viewer.htm#a000543665.htm

Comments of the * ...... ; form are still subject to macro processing.

Your line causes the varexist macro to be compiled&executed. Only /* .... */ prevents macro execution.

Re: Lost with macro calls

Loko — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 07:22:04 GMT

Hello,

It would be helpful if you also list the macro Varexist

Re: Lost with macro calls

jakarman — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 07:35:40 GMT

Why not use the sashelp.vmembers access as being the same as some dictionary te quest?

Re: Lost with macro calls

Aboiron — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 07:35:49 GMT

That explains a lot thx, but not everything.

So my macro works as it is written, and works when the *%put %VarExist(PotePrec.pote&anprec._d&&d&i,_1DX); is not preceded by a *

But it does not work if I remove the previous %put line, and I do not understand why, as I assume -probably wrongly- it only does something external to the program

Re: Lost with macro calls

Aboiron — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 07:48:02 GMT

I would say for two very bad reasons

1. I have just arrived at my job and I tend to do thnigs the same way it has been done instead of recreating all myself

2. because I have a lot of trouble understanding your answer after "Why not use" (Im working a bit on that one)

Re: Lost with macro calls

Aboiron — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 07:48:34 GMT

Added

Re: Lost with macro calls

Kurt_Bremser — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 07:48:52 GMT

The %do i = 1 %to 96 misses the semicolon.

Re: Lost with macro calls

Kurt_Bremser — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 07:53:10 GMT

sashelp.vmember is a dynamic view that contains metadata about all datasets in all currently assigned libraries.

sashelp.vcolumn does the same for all columns in all tables in all currently assigned libraries.

Very useful.

Re: Lost with macro calls

Aboiron — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 08:11:25 GMT

Well I am a bit confused, but thanks a lot, with your two answers I am now able to work appeased

Re: Lost with macro calls

Kurt_Bremser — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 08:25:41 GMT

You're not alone; I had lots of confusion grasping the concepts of the macro processor. Sometimes I still have.

Not that much different from the C preprocessor or similar tools.

Re: Lost with macro calls

jakarman — Wed, 15 Oct 2014 06:24:42 GMT

@Kurt even after many years I still having surprise with that macro environment.

Aboiron the set statement for concat all sasdatasets could be coded easier.

The set statement is supporting dataset lists. http://support.sas.com/documentation/cdl/en/lestmtsref/67407/HTML/default/viewer.htm#p00hxg3x8lwivcn1f0e9axziw57y.htm

You could code the range or as a abbreviation using :