topic Re: Add a value to a Macro-Variable in SAS Programming

Add a value to a Macro-Variable

obvisou — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 07:40:04 GMT

Hi all,
I would like to add a new value in an existing Macro-Variable. The new value should only be added if is not already part of the Macro-Variable.
Adding a value works fine:

%let parameter_macrovariable = &parameter_macrovariable. &parameter_value.;

To do the check I would like to use a Macro (if there is not a better way to do it). I haven't find a solution to work inside the Macro with the literal name of Inputparamter in the macro (parameter_macrovariable 😃 The assignment inside a macro is different. This is in SAS not allowed: %let %parameter_macrovariable. = ...

Thank you for your help. Here my not working macro:

%global macrovariable
%let macrovariable = Value1

%macro check_and_add(parameter_macrovariable =, parameter_value =);

    %let found = %sysfunc(findw(&parameter_macrovariable., &parameter_value., %str( )));
    %if &found. = 0 %then %do;
        %let parameter_macrovariable = &parameter_macrovariable. &parameter_value.;
		%put Updated list: &parameter_macrovariable., new added value: &parameter_value.;
    %end;

%mend;

%check_and_add(parameter_macrovariable = macrovariable, parameter_value = Value2)

%put parameter_macrovariable: parameter_macrovariable; /* Result: empty */

Re: Add a value to a Macro-Variable

rudfaden — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 08:26:38 GMT

when you use a variable in as a parameter in a macro it is definled in the local macro variable table and is not availble outside the macro. You need do define it before.

%let macrovariable = Value1;
%let parameter_macrovariable = &macrovariable;

%macro check_and_add( parameter_value =);
    %let found = %sysfunc(findw(&parameter_macrovariable., &parameter_value.));
    %if &found. = 0 %then %do;
        %let parameter_macrovariable = &parameter_macrovariable. &parameter_value.;
		%put Updated list: &parameter_macrovariable., new added value: &parameter_value.;
    %end;
%put &=parameter_macrovariable; 
%mend;

%check_and_add(parameter_value = Value2)

%put &=parameter_macrovariable;

Re: Add a value to a Macro-Variable

obvisou — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 10:40:53 GMT

Thank you. But this is not want I want. The Macro should be dynamic and be used also for other Macro-Variables, so it is necessary to have two Input-Parameters. One for the Macro-Variable (List) to be updated and second for the Value who must be added or not (parameter_macrovariable =, parameter_value 😃

Re: Add a value to a Macro-Variable

yabwon — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 10:56:26 GMT

Try this:

%global myMacrovariable;
%let myMacrovariable = A;

%put &=myMacrovariable.;

%macro add_value(val,mvName=myMacrovariable)/minoperator mindelimiter=' ';
%if NOT (&val. in (&&&mvName.)) %then
  %let &mvName. = &&&mvName. &val.;
%mend add_value;

%add_value(A)
%put &=myMacrovariable.;

%add_value(B)
%put &=myMacrovariable.;

%add_value(C)
%put &=myMacrovariable.;

%add_value(C)
%put &=myMacrovariable.;

%add_value(A)
%put &=myMacrovariable.;

Of course the assumption is that values you're adding don't have spaces in them.

Bart

Re: Add a value to a Macro-Variable

yabwon — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 11:01:08 GMT

An alternative could be to add everything as it goes to the variable value, and when it's done, to use the %dedupListS() macro from the BasePlus package:

 %let list = 4 5 6 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6;
 %let list = %dedupListS(&list.);

Bart

Re: Add a value to a Macro-Variable

obvisou — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 12:26:04 GMT

Thanks Bard.

Had to change the if statement to:

%let pos_found = %sysfunc(findw(&mvName., &val.));

%if &pos_found = 0 %then % do:

But this is still not allowed:

%let &mvName. = &&&mvName. &val.;

ERROR: Expecting a variable name after %let.

ERROR: The macro variable name is either all blank or missing.

Re: Add a value to a Macro-Variable

yabwon — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 12:28:32 GMT

Full log please...

Re: Add a value to a Macro-Variable

yabwon — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 12:29:41 GMT

"ERROR: The macro variable name is either all blank or missing." - did you defined your macro variable BEFORE running the macro ?

Re: Add a value to a Macro-Variable

obvisou — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 12:54:34 GMT

%MACRO ChkValueList_Add(p_list     =                            
                           ,p_value    =                            
                           )/minoperator mindelimiter = ' ';


/*----------------------------------------------------------------
  Parameter
----------------------------------------------------------------*/
%put @_&sysmacroname._500_p_list:          &p_list.;
%put @_&sysmacroname._502_p_value:         &p_value.;


/*----------------------------------------------------------------
  Check
----------------------------------------------------------------*/
%if %length(&p_value.) = 0 %then %do;
   %put ERROR: Parameter 'p_value' ist leer. (ku-508);
   %return;
%end;


/*----------------------------------------------------------------
  
----------------------------------------------------------------*/
%let pos_found = %sysfunc(findw(&p_list., &p_value.));           /* */ 
/*%if NOT (&p_value. IN (&&&p_list.)) %then %do;                 /* */ 
   %put @_&sysmacroname._517_Position_Found:  &pos_found.;

%if &pos_found. = 0 %then %do;               
   %let &p_list. = &&&p_list. &p_value.;     

   %put @_&sysmacroname._522:  Wert (&p_value.) wurde in Liste hinzugefügt (&p_list.).;
%end;
%else %do;
   %put @_&sysmacroname._525:  Wert (&p_value.) ist bereits in Liste enthalten (&p_list.).;		/* nicht möglich Name der Liste anzuzeigen!!!)
%end;

%put;
%put #---------------------------------------------------#;
%put # &sysmacroname._End;
%put #---------------------------------------------------#;

%MEND ChkValueList_Add;



------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
%global list_epi list_add;
%let list_epi               =;                                       
%let list_add               =;                                       
/* */

%include "/......_ChkVariableExist.sas";    
%ChkValueList_Add(p_list= &list_epi., p_value= Hallo); 
%put ----list_epi:  &list_epi.;


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Log
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1          ;*';*";*/;quit;run;
2          OPTIONS PAGENO=MIN;
3          %LET _CLIENTTASKLABEL='Config';
4          %LET _CLIENTPROCESSFLOWNAME='Manual';
5          %LET _CLIENTPROJECTPATH='/SAS/......egp';
6          %LET _CLIENTPROJECTPATHHOST='........';
7          %LET _CLIENTPROJECTNAME='.......egp';
8          %LET _SASPROGRAMFILE='';
9          %LET _SASPROGRAMFILEHOST='';
10         
11         ODS _ALL_ CLOSE;
12         OPTIONS DEV=SVG;
13         GOPTIONS XPIXELS=0 YPIXELS=0;
14         %macro HTML5AccessibleGraphSupported;
15             %if %_SAS_VERCOMP_FV(9,4,4, 0,0,0) >= 0 %then ACCESSIBLE_GRAPH;
16         %mend;
17         FILENAME EGHTML TEMP;
18         ODS HTML5(ID=EGHTML) FILE=EGHTML
19             OPTIONS(BITMAP_MODE='INLINE')
20             %HTML5AccessibleGraphSupported
MPRINT(HTML5ACCESSIBLEGRAPHSUPPORTED):   ACCESSIBLE_GRAPH
21             ENCODING='utf-8'
22             STYLE=HTMLBlue
23             NOGTITLE
24             NOGFOOTNOTE
25             GPATH=&sasworklocation
26         ;
27         
28         
29         %include "/SAS/................sas";
574        %ChkValueList_Add(p_list= &list_epi., p_value= Hallo);


#---------------------------------------------------#
# ChkValueList_Add_Start
#---------------------------------------------------#
@_ChkValueList_Add_500_p_list:
ERROR: Expecting a variable name after %LET.
ERROR: The macro variable name is either all blank or missing.
ERROR: The macro ChkValueList_Add will stop executing.
575        
576    
578        
579        %put ----list_epi:  &list_epi.;
----list_epi:
580        %put &=list_epi;
LIST_EPI=
581        /* */
582        
583        
584        %LET _CLIENTTASKLABEL=;
585        %LET _CLIENTPROCESSFLOWNAME=;
586        %LET _CLIENTPROJECTPATH=;
587        %LET _CLIENTPROJECTPATHHOST=;
588        %LET _CLIENTPROJECTNAME=;
589        %LET _SASPROGRAMFILE=;
2                                                          The SAS System                               09:26 Monday, March 18, 2024

590        %LET _SASPROGRAMFILEHOST=;
591        
592        ;*';*";*/;quit;run;
593        ODS _ALL_ CLOSE;
594        
595        
596        QUIT; RUN;
597

Re: Add a value to a Macro-Variable

Tom — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 16:12:30 GMT

To reference the value of macro variable whose name is stored in a macro variable you need to add more &.

&&&mvar

The first two resolve to one and trigger the macro processor to re-scan the results.

So your macro should look more like:

%macro check_and_add(mvar=,value=);
%if 0=%length(&mvar) %then %put ERROR: MVAR not specified.;
%else %do;
  %if not %symexist(&mvar) %then %global &mvar;
  %if not %sysfunc(findw(&&&mvar,&value,,s)) %then %do;
      %let &mvar = &&&mvar &value ;
      %put Updated list: &mvar=&&&mvar ;
  %end;
%end;
%mend;

PS Using variable names that are too long is just as hard to understand as using variable names that are too short. And much harder to type.

CORRECTED: Fixed the call to FINDW() to use S modifier instead of trying to get %SYSFUNC() to pass a single space as the delimiter list.

Re: Add a value to a Macro-Variable

obvisou — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 13:19:44 GMT

If had already &&&:

%let &mvar = &&&mvar &value ;

%let &p_list. = &&&p_list. &p_value.;

I realy wonderig why it is working in your case?

And this is also not the goal:

%then %global &mvar;

The variable must be global outside the macro. So it can be reused.

AI is very bad in SAS 🙂

Re: Add a value to a Macro-Variable

yabwon — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 13:25:35 GMT

Great, but where is your log with the code I proposed ?

Bart

Re: Add a value to a Macro-Variable

yabwon — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 13:27:24 GMT

This comment seems to be not closed:

/* nicht möglich Name der Liste anzuzeigen!!!)

Bart

Re: Add a value to a Macro-Variable

Tom — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 13:38:02 GMT

You did not use the &&& in the FINDW() function call.

The %IF %SYMEXIST()... statement is to define &MAR as global when it does not already exist. Otherwise it will be defined as local and disappear when the macro ends.

You don't need to define &MVAR as GLOBAL if it already exists.

You don't want to define &MVAR as GLOBAL if it already exists as LOCAL in some other macro that is calling this macro. SAS will generate and error.

Hence the use of the %IF statement.

Re: Add a value to a Macro-Variable

yabwon — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 13:28:27 GMT

This line is badly commented out too:

/*%if NOT (&p_value. IN (&&&p_list.)) %then %do;                 /* */

Bart

Re: Add a value to a Macro-Variable

obvisou — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 13:28:32 GMT

yes sorry, but this is not the mistake.

Re: Add a value to a Macro-Variable

obvisou — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 13:30:13 GMT

Is here something wrong? It was your suggestion. I don't need it. just deleted.

Re: Add a value to a Macro-Variable

yabwon — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 13:31:23 GMT

Take the code I posted, copy it to your session, run it, and share the results, ok ?

Re: Add a value to a Macro-Variable

obvisou — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 13:39:05 GMT

The if-statement worked fine. If change &&& in the fincw() function I got an Error. The error occurs in the assigment %let =. Please concentrate on that.

"The %IF statement will only define &MAR as global when it is needed." - The variable is global and should stay global because it will be reused, e.g.:

check_and_add(mvar= mvar,value= Value1); check_and_add(mvar= mvar,value= Value1); check_and_add(mvar= mvar,value= Value2); check_and_add(mvar= mvar,value= Value2); check_and_add(mvar= mvar,value= Value3);

Re: Add a value to a Macro-Variable

Mazi — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 13:46:49 GMT

%global macrovariable;

%let macrovariable = Value1;

%macro check_and_add(parameter_macrovariable =, parameter_value =);
    %if ^%index(%bquote(&&&parameter_macrovariable), &parameter_value) %then %do;
        %let &parameter_macrovariable = &&&parameter_macrovariable. &parameter_value.;
		%put Updated list: &parameter_macrovariable., new added value: &parameter_value.;
    %end;

%mend;

%check_and_add(parameter_macrovariable = macrovariable, parameter_value = Value2);

%put &=macrovariable;

Is this what you want?
The code supplied by @yabwon works well too 🙂
@