topic Re: Problems using %str in SAS Programming

Problems using %str

juanvg1972 — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 10:36:48 GMT

Hi,

I am getting problems using %str.

When i do:

%let val = %str(data coches; set sashelp.cars; run);

%put val = &val.;

&val.;

it works properly, but now I make a modification:

%let fich = cars;

%let fich2 = %str(%")&fich%str(%");

%let val  = %str(data coches; set coches; fichero = &fich2 ;run;);

%put val = &val.;

&val.;

it doesn' work in the put stament I can see the macrovaroable well created

 %put val = &val.;
val = data coches; set coches; fichero = "cars" ;run;

but when I invoke tha macrovariable to execute de the data steps with errors:

23         &val.;
180: LINE y COLUMN no se pueden determinar.
NOTE: NOSPOOL is on. Rerunning with OPTION SPOOL might allow recovery of the LINE and COLUMN where the error has occurred.
ERROR 180-322: Statement is not valid or it is used out of proper order.

           _
           386
           200
ERROR 386-185: Expecting an arithmetic expression.

ERROR 200-322: The symbol is not recognized and will be ignored.

24         
25         GOPTIONS NOACCESSIBLE;
26         %LET _CLIENTTASKLABEL=;
27         %LET _CLIENTPROJECTPATH=;
28         %LET _CLIENTPROJECTNAME=;
29         %LET _SASPROGRAMFILE=;
30         
31         ;*';*";*/;quit;run;
                     ____
                     180

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

NOTE: The SAS System stopped processing this step because of errors.

Can anybody help me??

Thanks in advance

Re: Problems using %str

Patrick — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 10:47:05 GMT

@juanvg1972

Try...

%put val = %unquote(&val.);

...and let us know if that helped.

Re: Problems using %str

ChrisBrooks — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 10:48:19 GMT

You need to put double quotes around &fich2 in order to force resolution of the macro variable when val is assigned like so

%let fich = cars;

%let fich2 = %str(%")&fich%str(%");

%let val  = %str(data coches; set coches; fichero = "&fich2" ;run;);

%put val = &val.;

&val.;

Re: Problems using %str

Kurt_Bremser — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 11:02:28 GMT

The masking functions add tokens to the strings that are recognized by the macro processor, but will confuse the main SAS interpreter.

Bottom line: don't add quotes in macro variables, put them around the macro variables in the data step. A situation where you don't know beforehand if a variable is character or numeric is strongly advised against. Such constructs will bite you in the behind as soon as you turn your back on them.

Re: Problems using %str

Astounding — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 11:20:00 GMT

You are complicating your program (and the possibility for errors) by adding pieces you don't need. This statement would work without %STR (as long as you use double-quotes):

%let fich2 = "&fich";

In fact, you could skip creating &FICH2 entirely:

%let val = %str(data coches; set coches; fichero = "&fich"; run; ) ;

It's possible that this fixes everything. But if it doesn't, I'm expecting that %PUT would still work. Only the code execution needs to be changed. If this is the final step:

&val

You may need to change it to:

%unquote(&val)

It's likely you won't need %UNQUOTE in this particular case (I can't test it right now), but might need it if you were generating SQL code instead of a DATA step.

SIde note: In the solution that you accepted, check the value of FICHERO. I suspect it contains extra characters.

Re: Problems using %str

RW9 — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 11:36:13 GMT

Nobody questioning the bizarre use of Base SAS in a macro variable? I would go mad if I saw that in any code I had to deal with. Base SAS if the programming language, macro is only there to help generate some it, it is not for anything else.

Re: Problems using %str

ChrisBrooks — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 13:34:47 GMT

I agree absolutely @RW9 - as it stands there's no reason to be doing what the OP posted and every reason not to do it that way. I took it as an exercise in understanding how macro variable resolution works. I too would be less than happy seeing something like that in production code.......