topic Getoption argument to %sysfunc 9.3 changes in SAS Programming

Getoption argument to %sysfunc 9.3 changes

AllenEBingham — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 19:15:44 GMT

Just installed SAS 9.3 (Windows 32-bit) today ... and was testing (I'm our site's software rep) ... and found the entirely unsatisfactory NOTE explanation in the LOG:

128 %let sopts=%sysfunc(getoption(missing,keyword)) %sysfunc(getoption(center,keyword))

NOTE: A conflicting combination of parameters was specified for the GETOPTION function.

129 %sysfunc(getoption(xwait,keyword)) %sysfunc(getoption(xsync,keyword))

129 ! %sysfunc(getoption(date,keyword))

NOTE: A conflicting combination of parameters was specified for the GETOPTION function.

130 %sysfunc(getoption(papersize,keyword))

131 %sysfunc(getoption(bottommargin,keyword)) %sysfunc(getoption(topmargin,keyword))

132 %sysfunc(getoption(rightmargin,keyword)) %sysfunc(getoption(leftmargin,keyword))

133 %sysfunc(getoption(orientation,keyword))

134 ;

Obviously the system options have changed for Version 9.3 ... and I'll need to look into that, but any hints as to code (within a macro) to use to check for the version of SAS being run?

Note that most of my end users will be using 9.2x for a while ... while some will start using 9.3 --- and I'll need to re-write this code to run as above for Version 9.2 ... and something I'll need to write new for Version 9.3.

Any hints/helps would be appreciated.

Thanks-Allen

Getoption argument to %sysfunc 9.3 changes

data_null__ — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 19:53:38 GMT

The NOTE: seems harmless enough to me. I don't see any need to change the programs.

The thing the I don't understand is why SAS doesn't return the boolean options CENTER DATE XSYNC etc in KEYWORD form when you ask for it.

SAS does accept the KEYWORD from for setting the options.

1737 options xwait=0 xsync=0 date=0;

1738 %put %sysfunc(getoption(missing,keyword)) %sysfunc(getoption(center,keyword));

MISSING=. NOCENTER

1739 %put %sysfunc(getoption(xwait,keyword)) %sysfunc(getoption(xsync,keyword)) %sysfunc(getoption(date,keyword));

NOXWAIT NOXSYNC NODATE

Seem like if you can set the option as a KEYWORD that at least you could retrieve it the same way.

Getoption argument to %sysfunc 9.3 changes

AllenEBingham — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:11:48 GMT

Interestingly ... after I looked into this some more myself as well as your reply --- I now realize that in 9.2 it was ignoring the KEYWORD parameter for the boolean type of system options ... and that I can get what I want by removing the KEYWORD option for those system options ... and that the code will work in both 9.2 and 9.3!!!

THANKS-Allen

Getoption argument to %sysfunc 9.3 changes

SASJedi — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 23:56:41 GMT

>any hints as to code (within a macro) to use to check for the version of SAS being run?

Automatic macro variables you might find interesting when writing macro code to run in a multi-version SAS environment include:

SYSVER - SAS release version (Examples: 9.2, 9.3)

SYSVLONG - SAS release number and maintenance level (Examples: 9.02.02M3P041310, 9.03.01M0P051811)

SYSVLONG4 - Everything in SYSVLONG, plus the 4 digit year of the release (Examples: 9.02.02M3P04132010 , 9.03.01M0P05182011)

Getoption argument to %sysfunc 9.3 changes

Tom — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:16:23 GMT

Use %sysevalf( &sysver > 9.2) to test if you are running a version newer than 9.2.

I agree that the NOTE is inappropriate. It does seem strange that even when you ask for keyword format it does not return it, but changing the output now might break old code.

Also I would like them to fix the strings returned for values that require quotes when assigning the values.

For example if you try this code you will get error messages:

options missing=" ";

%let sopt=%sysfunc(getoption(missing,keyword));

options &sopt;

What I have done is something like:

%let sopt=formchar="%qsysfunc(getoption(missing))";

Here is the list of options that I indentified a couple of years ago that require that treatment.

missing invaliddata formchar formdlim topmargin leftmargin rightmargin bottommargin xprintnm printerpath

Getoption argument to %sysfunc 9.3 changes

data_null__ — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 02:08:41 GMT

I think all those problems can be avoided if you are saving options to reset later by using OPTSAVE/OPTLOAD.

Getoption argument to %sysfunc 9.3 changes

Peter_C — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:53:51 GMT

are invocation-only options now supported in optload/optsave?

Getoption argument to %sysfunc 9.3 changes

data_null__ — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 14:27:39 GMT

I don't know about SAS 9.3

For options that can only be specified at invocation what would be the point?

SAS 9.2 they are NOT saved but they are available for viewing or other processing (sans reset) with DICTIONARY.OPTIONS.

Getoption argument to %sysfunc 9.3 changes

Peter_C — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 18:16:32 GMT

thought so

and agree

for retrieving option values, sashelp.voption will have to become the source.

I liked the consistent re-usability of a short macro to conveniently collect the value of any option without needing to verify whether Boolean or in need of the keyword when the existing value is to be reused.

Looks like the new macro will have to go through the table handling scl-type functions rather than just supporting

%macro sy(op);

%sysfunc( getoption( &op, keyword))

%mend sy ;

What is the improvement with this new "feature"?

Re: Getoption argument to %sysfunc 9.3 changes

data_null__ — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 18:34:42 GMT

What is the improvement with this new "feature"?

I see no use for the NOTE: but don't find it particularly offensive either.

Interestingly OPTSAVE stores all options in a KEYWORD format. With the BOOLEANS as 0/1, just like I wish GETOPTION would do when KEYWORD is specified.

OBS OPTNAME OPTVALUE

1 APPLETLOC C:\Program Files\SAS\SASGraphJ

2 AUTOSAVELOC

3 AUTOSIGNON 0

4 BINDING DEFAULT

5 BOMFILE 1

6 BOTTOMMARGIN 0.000 IN

7 BUFNO 1

8 BUFSIZE 0

9 BYERR 1

10 BYLINE 1

11 BYSORTED 1

12 CAPS 0

13 CARDIMAGE 0

14 CBUFNO 0

15 CENTER 0

16 CGOPTIMIZE 3

17 CHARCODE 0

18 CLEANUP 1

19 CMDMAC 0

20 CMPLIB

21 CMPMODEL BOTH

DICTIONARY. OPTIONS on the other hand has more info similar to what PROC OPTIONS can provide.

Option Option

Option Name type Option Setting Option Description Location Option Group

ƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒ

APPEND char Append at the end of Portable ENVFILES

the option value

APPLETLOC char C:\Program Location of Java Portable ENVFILES

Files\SAS\SASGraph applets

JavaApplets\9.2

ARMAGENT char ARM Agent to use to Portable PERFORMANCE

collect ARM records

ARMLOC char ARMLOG.LOG Identify location Portable PERFORMANCE

where ARM records are

to be written

ARMSUBSYS char (ARM_NONE) Enable/Disable ARMing Portable PERFORMANCE

of SAS subsystems

ASYNCHIO Boolean NOASYNCHIO Enable asynchronous Portable SASFILES

input/output

AUTOSAVELOC char Identifies the Portable ENVDISPLAY

location where

program editor

contents are auto

saved

AUTOSIGNON Boolean NOAUTOSIGNON SAS/CONNECT remote Portable COMMUNICATIONS

submit will

automatically attempt

to SIGNON

BINDING char DEFAULT Controls the binding Portable ODSPRINT

edge for duplexed

output

BOMFILE Boolean BOMFILE Add Byte Order Mark Portable EXTFILES

when creating Unicode

files

BOTTOMMARGIN char 0.000 IN Bottom margin for Portable ODSPRINT

printed output

BUFNO num 1 Number of buffers for Portable PERFORMANCE

each SAS data set

BUFSIZE num 0 Size of buffer for Portable PERFORMANCE

page of SAS data set

BYERR Boolean BYERR Set the error flag if Portable ERRORHANDLING

a null data set is

input to the SORT

procedure

BYLINE Boolean BYLINE Print the by-line at Portable LISTCONTROL

the beginning of each

by-group

BYSORTED Boolean BYSORTED Require SAS data set Portable INPUTCONTROL

observations to be

sorted for BY

processing