topic Re: Check whether the value of a macro variable is numeric in SAS Programming

Datatype macro

Aditi24 — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 11:42:50 GMT

Hi, I need to validate if the value of a macro variable is numeric(float or Integer). Please suggest a way to do this.

Re: Check whether the value of a macro variable is numeric

Reeza — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 10:00:16 GMT

Try and convert it to a numeric and check if it's not missing

You can use INPUT.

If input("&macrovariable", ?? Best12.) ne . Then put 'Numeric';

Re: Check whether the value of a macro variable is numeric

RW9 — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 10:51:10 GMT

Why use macro variables - which are only text - for numeric data in the first place? Remember Macro Language is only a text generation system, it does nothing on its own, that is what Base SAS is for. There is never a *need* to use macro.

That being said, if your developing a library tool with paramters, and you need to check it, then maybe something like:

...
data _null_;
  call symput('TEST',ifc(lengthn(compress("&THEVAR."," .","d")) > 0,"Y","N"));
run;

%if "&test."="Y" %then...
  %put Failed;
...

Just to note, in the data _null_, you would do all your parameter checks, and then just output one result.

Re: Check whether the value of a macro variable is numeric

Reeza — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 11:04:15 GMT

@RW9Negative sign?

Re: Check whether the value of a macro variable is numeric

Aditi24 — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 11:05:22 GMT

@RW9: Actually I am validating the parameters passed to a remote macro and need to print the error in log of my local machine

Re: Check whether the value of a macro variable is numeric

Ksharp — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 11:07:30 GMT


%let x=12.34;
%let f=%datatyp(&x);

%put &x &f;

Re: Check whether the value of a macro variable is numeric

Reeza — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 11:11:16 GMT

@Ksharp learned my new thing for the day 🙂

http://support.sas.com/documentation/cdl/en/mcrolref/69726/HTML/default/viewer.htm#p14qy9r4wu1an0n11kfn30idvy20.htm

Re: Check whether the value of a macro variable is numeric

Aditi24 — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 11:40:38 GMT

Thanks a lot. You are a saviour 🙂 @Ksharp