topic Re: Inserting the value of a date variable into a filename during proc export in SAS Programming

Inserting the value of a date variable into a filename during proc export

weissalberich — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 15:33:31 GMT

I'm trying to include the value of two prompts I have generated in SAS EG in the filename during a PROC EXPORT step. One prompt is numeric and resolves in the file name just fine, but the other prompt is a date and I keep getting WARNING: Apparent symbolic reference LOOKBACKSTARTDATE not resolved.

My code:

PROC Export DATA=WORK.MONTHLYCOMPILED
OUTFILE="C:\Documents\SASoutput\monthly_&lookbackstartdate._&txstartcohort..csv"
DBMS=csv
REPLACE;
RUN;

The date variable - &loobackstartdate - describes the start date for the data set that went into the anlaysis. It's not like a date/time stamp for the run itself, so using a function that inserts today's date is not what I'm going for.

I played around with trying to convert &lookbackstartdate into text and saving that as another variable with a preceding %let step, but I'm just tripping over myself on how to do that.

Re: Inserting the value of a date variable into a filename during proc export

RW9 — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 15:47:08 GMT

So where is &lookbackstartdate. defined? The warning is telling you that there is no macro variable by that name in the current scope. Not sure how we could help you further without some information?

Re: Inserting the value of a date variable into a filename during proc export

weissalberich — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 15:55:14 GMT

It's defined via a prompt I created in SAS EG, and set to be used throughout the project. It is used in other queries in the project to restrict data. It's the same thing I have done for the numeric txstartcohort variable that does resolve correctly.

Re: Inserting the value of a date variable into a filename during proc export

Reeza — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 16:09:11 GMT

What happens then that's unexpected, your code looks correct.

Re: Inserting the value of a date variable into a filename during proc export

ballardw — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 22:24:40 GMT

@weissalberich wrote:

It's defined via a prompt I created in SAS EG, and set to be used throughout the project. It is used in other queries in the project to restrict data. It's the same thing I have done for the numeric txstartcohort variable that does resolve correctly.

You don't show the name used in the construction. I would triple check spelling for your use &LOOKBACKSTARTDATE. Perhaps the entry screen cutoff a few characters or you accidentaly used LOOKBACKSTARTDATA or similar