topic Re: SAS %sysevalf does not support "IN" operator ? in SAS Programming

SAS %sysevalf does not support "IN" operator ?

yabwon — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 12:02:21 GMT

Hi SASsy People! 😉 Counting on that your "sassyness" will help me.

Inspired by discussion with Quentin ( @Quentin sorry for pulling you into this 😄 )

I was working on new extension to my BasePlus package and encountered this "interesting" situation.

The idea was to concoct "lazy typer"/"syntactic sugar" macro name %IFFUN() which would allow for something like:

%let test = %iffunc((<condition>),value when TRUE,value when FALSE);

(I know about the "%sysfunc(ifc(c,t,f,))" combo, that's not the point here.)

I wanted to provide the conditions like:

1) (&x.=1)
2) (9.9<&y)
3) (TRUE=true)
4) (1/3 = &z. * 0.5)
5) (1=1.0)
6) (%scan(&t.,1)=A)
etc.

and of course something like

7) (&n. IN (1 3 5))

too.

Internally I'm using the %SYSEVALF() to evaluate expressions and everything was going well until the point 7).

It looks like the %SYSEVALF() macrofunction and the IN operator don't like each other...

Lets look at those 3 macros:

%macro test1()/minoperator;
%if 1.1 IN (1.1 2.1 3.1) %then %put [&sysmacroname.] 123!!;
%mend;

%macro test2()/minoperator;
%if %eval(1.1 IN (1.1 2.1 3.1)) %then %put [&sysmacroname.] 123!!;
%mend;

%macro test3()/minoperator;
%if %sysevalf(1.1 IN (1.1 2.1 3.1)) %then %put [&sysmacroname.] 123!!;
%mend;

What would you expect to see in the log after running:

%test1()
%test2()
%test3()

Would it be:

1    %test1()
[TEST1] 123!!
2    %test2()
[TEST2] 123!!
3    %test3()
[TEST3] 123!!

Well, if yes, you would be surprised.

The log is:

1    %test1()
[TEST1] 123!!
2    %test2()
[TEST2] 123!!
3    %test3()
ERROR: A character operand was found in the %EVAL function or %IF condition where a numeric operand is required. The condition was: (1.1 IN (1.1 2.1 3.1))
ERROR: %EVAL function has no expression to evaluate, or %IF statement has no condition.
ERROR: The macro TEST3 will stop executing.

To my surprise, the error is not in "plain" %IF-%THEN, not in %EVAL(), but it blows-up in the %SYSEVALF() which seems to be "the most robust one"...

Before writing here I went through:

https://support.sas.com/en/books/authors/art-carpenter.html

both:

"Carpenter's Complete Guide to the SAS Macro Language, Third Edition"

and

"Carpenter’s Guide to Innovative SAS Techniques"

https://support.sas.com/en/books/authors/robert-virgile.html

"SAS Macro Language Magic: Discovering Advanced Techniques"

https://blogs.sas.com/content/author/micheleburlew/

"SAS Macro Programming Made Easy, Third Edition"

but didn't find anything related to or describing the subject.

Also 9.4 documentation pages:

- sysevalf - https://documentation.sas.com/doc/en/pgmsascdc/9.4_3.5/mcrolref/p1d9ypna2tpt16n1xam57kuffcpt.htm

- minoperator - https://documentation.sas.com/doc/en/pgmsascdc/9.4_3.5/mcrolref/p0pbehl7wj5sl4n1ov1ortnehtba.htm

- mindelimiter= - https://documentation.sas.com/doc/en/pgmsascdc/9.4_3.5/mcrolref/n0vc5y2nyi55dvn1agla9j658kwh.htm

- macro expressions - https://documentation.sas.com/doc/en/pgmsascdc/9.4_3.5/mcrolref/n00ks71pt5pjtfn1g939tuoptql4.htm (all four sub-sections too)

- macro error messages - https://documentation.sas.com/doc/en/mcrolref/1.0/n1mcxptbxr3qhwn1q6swv33z8akq.htm

don't provide any "warnings", "notes", or "attentions" to the subject.

And it's not onlu 9.4... the same is for Viya doc too https://documentation.sas.com/doc/en/mcrolref/1.0/p14qac7nd7n0s1n1rfte5bwrpfcy.htm

My questions to you are:

0) Is it "well known" behaviour and it's just me who didn't smashed head on it yet?

1) Did you encounter any place where the behaviour is documented (sas note)?

2) Do you consider such behaviour a bug worth mentioning to SAS support?

I'm intentionally mentioning some of you in the post's comments hoping for your thoughts, insights, and, hopefully, some "good-old SAS-L" type discussion.

All the best

Bart

Re: SAS %sysevalf does not support "IN" operator ?

yabwon — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 12:02:41 GMT

---

@Tom @PaigeMiller @Ksharp @SASKiwi @ChrisNZ @RichardDeVen @data_null__

Re: SAS %sysevalf does not support "IN" operator ?

yabwon — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 15:48:38 GMT

---

@Kurt_Bremser @FreelanceReinh @Reeza @Patrick @DonH @hashman @Rick_SAS @mkeintz @sasbrah

Re: SAS %sysevalf does not support "IN" operator ?

PaigeMiller — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 12:05:47 GMT

I tend to use the %INM macro rather than the IN operator

%macro inm(slist,s);
    /* SAS Macro %inm to see if &s is contained in a string or list &slist                 */
    /* Borrowed from https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/comp.soft-sys.sas/fWcSDgg11tE */
    %if %sysfunc(indexw(&slist,&s)) gt 0 %then 1 ;
    %else 0;
%mend;

Re: SAS %sysevalf does not support "IN" operator ?

Kurt_Bremser — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 12:30:54 GMT

What happens if you do

%if %sysevalf(1 IN (1 2 3))

(I'm on my tablet, so no SODA available)

Re: SAS %sysevalf does not support "IN" operator ?

yabwon — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 12:42:56 GMT

This:

%macro test4()/minoperator;
%if %sysevalf(1 IN (1 2 3)) %then %put [&sysmacroname.] 123!!;
%mend;

%macro test5()/minoperator;
%if %sysevalf(A IN (A B C)) %then %put [&sysmacroname.] 123!!;
%mend;

%test4()
%test5()

gives:

1    %test4()
ERROR: A character operand was found in the %EVAL function or %IF condition where a numeric operand is required. The condition was: 1 IN (1 2 3)
ERROR: %EVAL function has no expression to evaluate, or %IF statement has no condition.
ERROR: The macro TEST4 will stop executing.
2    %test5()
ERROR: A character operand was found in the %EVAL function or %IF condition where a numeric operand is required. The condition was: A IN (A B C)
ERROR: %EVAL function has no expression to evaluate, or %IF statement has no condition.
ERROR: The macro TEST5 will stop executing.

Bart

Re: SAS %sysevalf does not support "IN" operator ?

Kurt_Bremser — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 13:01:10 GMT

So it's clear that it is not the data or type of data which causes this, SYSEVALF does not like the IN operator at all. This is either a bug or not properly documented.

Since %IF can be used without a macro, I suggest to run the tests in "open code" with OPTIONS MINOPERATOR set. Maybe the log can give us additional clues.

Re: SAS %sysevalf does not support "IN" operator ?

DonH — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 13:13:13 GMT

Have you enabled the Macro In Operator (MINOPERATOR) option?

When SAS initially enabled the IN operator for the Macro language they got feedback from lots of customers that it broke their code (I can't recall the details, but I know that was the reason). So SAS added an option to enable that.

Apologies if that was mentioned earlier - based on a quick scan I did not see that mentioned.

Re: SAS %sysevalf does not support "IN" operator ?

yabwon — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 13:20:45 GMT

Open code version:

options minoperator;
%if %sysevalf(1 IN (1 2 3)) %then 
  %do; 
    %put [Open Code] 123!!; 
  %end;

produces:

1    options minoperator;
2    %if %sysevalf(1 IN (1 2 3)) %then
ERROR: A character operand was found in the %EVAL function or %IF condition where a numeric operand is required. The condition was: 1 IN (1 2 3)
ERROR: %EVAL function has no expression to evaluate, or %IF statement has no condition.
ERROR: Skipping to next %END statement.
3      %do;
4        %put [Open Code] 123!!;
5      %end;

Basically, nothing new.

Bart

Re: SAS %sysevalf does not support "IN" operator ?

Kurt_Bremser — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 13:21:15 GMT

@yabwon 's macro definitions have the /MINOPERATOR option, and %EVAL works there. It's only %SYSEVALF which coughs up.

Re: SAS %sysevalf does not support "IN" operator ?

yabwon — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 13:22:42 GMT

Hi Don,

Yes, I tried with both:

options minoperator;

and

%macro ... / minoperator;

directly in macro definition.

But it didn't change a thing.

Bart

Re: SAS %sysevalf does not support "IN" operator ?

Kurt_Bremser — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 13:25:46 GMT

Just wanted to make sure there is no difference between the MINOPERATOR option of %MACRO and the system option.

Since it is not documented for the %SYSEVALF function, IMO this is a bug.

Re: SAS %sysevalf does not support "IN" operator ?

Astounding — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 13:31:19 GMT

Have you tried turning on MLOGIC to see how the statements are being interpreted?

Re: SAS %sysevalf does not support "IN" operator ?

FreelanceReinh — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 13:58:34 GMT

Hi @yabwon,

Using a simplified version of the macro (with Windows SAS 9.4M5) SAS itself admits that there is a bug:

1     %macro test / minoperator;
2     %if %sysevalf(1 IN 1) %then %put OK;
3     %mend;
4
5     %test
ERROR: A bug in SAS has been encountered. Please call your SAS representative and report the following message:
YJEVAL: Invalid arithmetic operator 26 encountered.

ERROR: %EVAL function has no expression to evaluate, or %IF statement has no condition.
ERROR: The macro TEST will stop executing.

The first two lines of the error messages (what is YJEVAL, btw? And arithmetic operator 26?) are also written to the output window (in red color).

(Same with condition 1 IN (1).)

Re: SAS %sysevalf does not support "IN" operator ?

yabwon — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 13:58:27 GMT

Yes, nothing worth mentioning:

1    options mlogic mprint symbolgen;
2    %test5()
MLOGIC(TEST5):  Beginning execution.
ERROR: A character operand was found in the %EVAL function or %IF condition where a numeric operand is required. The condition was: A IN (A B C)
ERROR: %EVAL function has no expression to evaluate, or %IF statement has no condition.
ERROR: The macro TEST5 will stop executing.
MLOGIC(TEST5):  Ending execution.

(based on one of earlier examples)

Re: SAS %sysevalf does not support "IN" operator ?

Tom — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 14:06:30 GMT

They had to fix %EVAL() to recognize IN as an operator or else it would never have worked at all.

That is because when you write something like

%if &x = 5 %then %do;

That is just an implied call to %EVAL() to evaluate the condition.

Seems like an oversight to me. It has worked that way since the concept of allowing IN as an operator in the macro language was introduced.

Is it something that needs to be fixed? Or just documented. Find the documentation page for %SYEVALF() on-line and click on the FEEDBACK button and send the SAS documentation team a request that they include the fact that it does not support IN as an operator.

Re: SAS %sysevalf does not support "IN" operator ?

yabwon — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 14:09:45 GMT

Thanks @FreelanceReinh

So the good news is it is a bug and it can be confirmed...

Bad news it is there not fixed since M5! ...

Here (https://documentation.sas.com/doc/en/pgmsascdc/9.4_3.5/mcrolref/n1alyfc9f4qrten10sd5qz5e1w5q.htm) in the table, if you count with mnemonics there is more than 26 operators, maybe IN is 26th? BTW. What happens if you replace "IN" with "#", like:

%if %sysevalf(1 # 1) %then %put OK;

"YJEVAL" - "something, something EVAL", maybe %YJEVAL() is like "Yet another Junky EVAL"? 😄 😄

Could you also do test for "1 in (1 2 3)" ? Just to have a full picture for SAS Support team.

Bart

Re: SAS %sysevalf does not support "IN" operator ?

FreelanceReinh — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 14:29:30 GMT

@yabwon wrote:

Here (https://documentation.sas.com/doc/en/pgmsascdc/9.4_3.5/mcrolref/n1alyfc9f4qrten10sd5qz5e1w5q.htm) in the table, if you count with mnemonics there is more than 26 operators, maybe IN is 26th? BTW. What happens if you replace "IN" with "#", like:
%if %sysevalf(1 # 1) %then %put OK;
?

Almost the same as with "IN", but the number changed from 26 to 13:

...
YJEVAL: Invalid arithmetic operator 13 encountered.
...

@yabwon wrote:
Could you also do test for "1 in (1 2 3)" ? Just to have a full picture for SAS Support team.

Same messages as in your initial post.

SAS has just told me (twice!) that there will be an %IN operator (or at least a "reserved keyword" of this name) in a future SAS release.

6     %macro test / minoperator;
7     %if %sysevalf(1 %IN 1) %then %put OK;
8     %mend;
9
10    %test
NOTE: %IN will become a reserved keyword of the SAS Macro Language in a future release of the SAS System.  Changing the name of this macro will avoid
      future conflicts.
WARNING: Apparent invocation of macro IN not resolved.
NOTE: %IN will become a reserved keyword of the SAS Macro Language in a future release of the SAS System.  Changing the name of this macro will avoid
      future conflicts.
WARNING: Apparent invocation of macro IN not resolved.
ERROR: A character operand was found in the %EVAL function or %IF condition where a numeric operand is required. The condition was: 1 %IN 1
ERROR: %EVAL function has no expression to evaluate, or %IF statement has no condition.
ERROR: The macro TEST will stop executing.

Maybe that will be more robust.

Re: SAS %sysevalf does not support "IN" operator ?

yabwon — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 14:37:35 GMT

Thanks!

From 26 to 13, so maybe my guessing was right 🙂

9.4M8 has the same note about %IN, so still not reserved 😄

1    %in
     -
     180
NOTE: %IN will become a reserved keyword of the SAS Macro Language in a future release of the SAS System.  Changing the name of this macro will avoid future conflicts.
WARNING: Apparent invocation of macro IN not resolved.

ERROR 180-322: Statement is not valid or it is used out of proper order.

Bart

Re: SAS %sysevalf does not support "IN" operator ?

Quentin — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 14:41:03 GMT

Thanks @yabwon . Interesting thread, and glad to have the input from others! Agree with you and others that this feels very buggy. I think it's worth reporting to SAS as a %SYSEVALF bug, and then they can decide whether to fix it or document it as a "feature." : )

Personally, the introduction of the IN operator to the macro language was so buggy for several versions, that I've stayed away from it. In the context of macro language IN bugs in prior versions, it's not too shocking for find another one.