topic Re: Call Symputx is not creating macro variable in SAS Programming

Call Symputx is not creating macro variable

Rain_28 — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 21:19:01 GMT

Hi,

Please let me know what am I missing here, Macro ABC and DEF are not resolving, call symputx is not creating these macro variables. I tried with & without masking functions.

Issue:

WARNING: Apparent symbolic reference ABC not resolved.

WARNING: Apparent symbolic reference DEF not resolved.

%macro get(name=);
data _null_;
set _x;
.....
....
....
dsname = strip(upcase(scan(strip(reverse(ds)), 1, '.')));
call symputx("nrquote(&name.)", dsname );
run;
%mend get;

%get(name=ABC);
%get(name=DEF);

%put ABC=&ABC;
%put DEF=&DEF;

Re: Call Symputx is not creating macro variable

WarrenKuhfeld — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 21:38:39 GMT

https://documentation.sas.com/doc/en/mcrolref/1.0/n0i4icf2nv7wu7n1lm4wf1epykfh.htm

use a %GLOBAL statement to give the variables global scope. By default, the scope is local.

Re: Call Symputx is not creating macro variable

Rain_28 — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 21:49:50 GMT

Isn't Call Symputx creates a global macro variable? Available through out the program? That's what I understood reading the papers.

Added %global and it worked, thanks!

Re: Call Symputx is not creating macro variable

Tom — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 21:52:21 GMT

How do you know they weren't created? You didn't check them until after the macro ended. Once a macro stops running any local macro variables (symbols) are gone.

And why do you have the %NRQUOTE() function???

If you want the macro variables created in the GLOBAL symbol table you can ask CALL SYMPUTX() to do that for you.

call symputx("&name", dsname, 'g' );

But it might be more flexible if you had the macro make the macro variable global. That way you could do it only when the macro variable did not already exist in the calling environment.

%macro get(name=);
%if not %symexist(&name) %then %global &name;
....
call symputx("&name", dsname );
...
%mend get;

Re: Call Symputx is not creating macro variable

data_null__ — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 21:53:08 GMT

call symputx("%nrquote(&name.)", dsname,'G');

CALL SYMPUTX(macro-variable,value<,symbol-table>);

Use the SYMPUTX third parameter to define the symbol-table for the variable being created. 'G' for global.

Re: Call Symputx is not creating macro variable

Rain_28 — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 22:03:47 GMT

And why do you have the %NRQUOTE() function??? -----> I thought may be the macro variable resolution has something to do with the issue, so was trying out!

Below highlighted statement got me that this macro variable is available globally.

Didn't come across 'g' option puts macro variable in global symbol table. Glad to learn that, very helpful.

Re: Call Symputx is not creating macro variable

Tom — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 01:12:38 GMT

Where did get that description?

Re: Call Symputx is not creating macro variable

Rain_28 — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:13:19 GMT

https://www.lexjansen.com/pharmasug-cn/2017/CC/PharmaSUG-China-2017-CC01.pdf

Re: Call Symputx is not creating macro variable

WarrenKuhfeld — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:51:35 GMT

That paper uses the word "can be accessed globally" in a less than precise way. Better: "can optionally be accessed globally." You are better off looking at SAS documentation, which is freely accessible on the web. As others have pointed out, using the 'G' parameter in SYMPUTX is an alternative to the %GLOBAL statement and is the easier solution. I suppose it depends on your programming style. If you want your macro to state up front what the global variables are, use %GLOBAL. If you want to specify it on the fly, particularly with macro variable names that are manufactured on the fly, use the 'G' parameter in SYMPUTX. When I was writing big macros, I liked to put %LOCAL and %GLOBAL statements up front listing all my macro variables, but that is certainly not required.

Re: Call Symputx is not creating macro variable

Rain_28 — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 22:15:56 GMT

Thanks!