topic Re: How to reformat a value using macro if, then, else. Can't get mine to produce correct results. in SAS Programming

How to reformat a value using macro if, then, else. Can't get mine to produce correct results.

ncsthbell — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 15:19:03 GMT

I have the following code in my program and it is returning the value of '%%' (the else condition) when it should be returning the value of '%'. What am I doing wrong?

%LET TYPE_CD = %; 

%macro TYPECD;
%if &TYPE_CD = '%' %then
   call symput("NEW_TYPE_CD","'"||"&TYPE_CD"||"'");   /*leave variable as is*/
%else call symput("NEW_TYPE_CD","'"||"&TYPE_CD"||"%'"); /wrap with %
%mend TYPECD;

NEW_TYPE_CD is returning value of '%%', should be '%'

TYPE_CD is defined in SMC as a prompt with default value of '%'

If user leaves default, I want to select all type codes, so format is '%'.

If user enters '722', I want to format as '722%' to select all type_cds that begin with '722'.

I am trying to assign these values in the macro.

Re: How to reformat a value using macro if, then, else. Can't get mine to produce correct results.

RW9 — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 15:31:54 GMT

This if fails:

%if &TYPE_CD = '%' %then

as: if % = '%' is not true.

Then this gets called:

%else call symput("NEW_TYPE_CD","'"||"&TYPE_CD"||"%'");

becomes:

else call symput("NEW_TYPE_CD","'"||"%"||"%'");

As you have the macro parameter between double quotes, i.e. it dereferences at that point.

Personally I wouldn't do this this way at all, what is the problem with using basic datastep code?

Re: How to reformat a value using macro if, then, else. Can't get mine to produce correct results.

ncsthbell — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 15:44:35 GMT

I had the following in a data step first and got errors on this as well. I changed it to use a macro to see if I could get it to work. I agree that data step is best way... just couldn't get it to work. As you can tell, I do not have a lot of experience with SAS code.

Here is what I had in Data step:

data _null_;
/* build new prompt columns to use wildcard */
if &NAICS_CD = '%' then call symput('NEW_NAICS_CD',"'"||"&NAICS_CD"||"'");
else call symput('NEW_NAICS_CD',"'"||"&NAICS_CD"||"%'");
RUN;

The error says:

59 data _null_;

60 /* build new prompt columns to use wildcard */

61 if &NAICS_CD = '%' then call symput('NEW_NAICS_CD',"'"||"&NAICS_CD"||"'");

____

180

ERROR: Undeclared array referenced: symput.

61 if &NAICS_CD = '%' then call symput('NEW_NAICS_CD',"'"||"&NAICS_CD"||"'");

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

ERROR 22-322: Syntax error, expecting one of the following: +, =.

Re: How to reformat a value using macro if, then, else. Can't get mine to produce correct results.

LinusH — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 15:58:49 GMT

What does &NAICS_CD resoves to?

Use OPTIONS SYMBOLGEN;

Re: How to reformat a value using macro if, then, else. Can't get mine to produce correct results.

FreelanceReinh — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 16:12:24 GMT

Hello @ncsthbell,

Just use the single quotes only where you need them.

If TYPE_CD (or NAICS_CD, resp.) typically contains a percent sign without single quotes, then the %IF condition in your macro should read &TYPE_CD=%. There is no need for additional quotes, because in macro language text processing is the default.

In the data step, however, you should write the condition as "&TYPE_CD"="%" (or equivalently "&TYPE_CD"='%'), because a "naked" percent sign is not an appropriate character value in a data step.

Currently you add single quotes (and, in the %ELSE/ELSE branch, an additional percent sign) to whatever TYPE_CD (or NAICS_CD) contains. So, you would not "leave variable as is."

Re: How to reformat a value using macro if, then, else. Can't get mine to produce correct results.

RW9 — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 17:02:31 GMT

Yes, you have to remember that the macro pre-processor is basically an advanced text find/replace. So take your code and resolve it yourself, it looks like:

data _null_;
/* build new prompt columns to use wildcard */
if % = '%' then call symput('NEW_NAICS_CD',"'"||"%"||"'");
else call symput('NEW_NAICS_CD',"'"||"%"||"%'");
RUN;

Maybe post an example of what you have and what you want, as from your code it looks like you want the text from &NAIS_CD followed by %, so something like:

data _null_;
  if strip("&NAICS_CD.")='%' then call symput('NEW_NAICS_CD',"'%'");
  else call symput('NEW_NAICS_CD',cats("'","&NAICS_CD","%'");
run;

Now if &NAIS_CD. resolves to %, then &NEW_NAICS_CD. will resolve to '%' otherwise it will resolve to the text in &NAICS_CD. with the text % in single quotes (so for example if ABC: 'ABC%').

Re: How to reformat a value using macro if, then, else. Can't get mine to produce correct results.

ncsthbell — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 17:36:38 GMT

Thanks so much RW9.... your example was exactly what I needed it to do!

Re: How to reformat a value using macro if, then, else. Can't get mine to produce correct results.

Tom — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 18:19:15 GMT

You will find it much easier to not use % in that way in your input macro variables. Since % is a macro trigger it can cause trouble.

Why not just tell the users to use *, which is not a macro trigger, and then when you generate the value that you want to use in your LIKE condition you can replace the * with %.

data _null_;
   call symputx('new_type_cd',catq('1at',translate(symget('type_cd','%','*')));
run;