topic Quoting on SYSTASK command in SAS Programming

Quoting on SYSTASK command

milts — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 03:15:53 GMT

I would like to seek help on my script regarding quotes in my systask command; The command string is actually built the way I want it but when it gets resolved in the systask command it already breaks. I need to nrquote the variables I have as it can be possible there are spaces in the paths and filenames.

Greatly appreciate your help. Thanks!

%let pyscripts=C:\pyscripts;
%let sourcefile=sample.csv;
%let targettable=sample;

/* Build string for command line execution */
%let command = activate myenv%nrstr(&&) python %nrquote("&pyscripts\load_source_file.py") %nrquote("&sourcefile") %nrquote("&targettable");
%put &command;

/* Call python script for loading files*/
systask command "&command"
	status=loadstat
;

Re: Quoting on SYSTASK command

Kurt_Bremser — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 09:10:48 GMT

Your macro variable command resolves to this:

activate myenv&& python "C:\pyscripts\load_source_file.py" "sample.csv" "sample"

in the systask statement, this resolves to:

systask command "activate myenv&& python "C:\pyscripts\load_source_file.py" "sample.csv" "sample""
	status=loadstat
;

So your command is just

activate myenv&& python

and

C:\pyscripts\load_source_file.py

is misinterpreted as part of the systask statement parameters.

I suggest you use double double quotes where needed:

%let command = activate myenv%nrstr(&&) python %nrquote(""&pyscripts\load_source_file.py"") %nrquote(""&sourcefile"") %nrquote(""&targettable"");

or you start kicking people in the behind who have blanks in their filenames.

Re: Quoting on SYSTASK command

milts — Tue, 14 Mar 2017 02:30:50 GMT

Thanks a lot for the help. The double quoting works and lets me execute the python script properly.

Oh, and the second suggestion works as well!! Will definitely impose that one!