topic Re: Warning: Apparent symbolic reference not resolved in SAS Enterprise Guide

Warning: Apparent symbolic reference not resolved

izzytetteh24 — Sun, 14 Mar 2021 22:20:19 GMT

%PUT VAL_DATE=&VAL_DATE;
%PUT _global_;

PROC SQL;
CREATE TABLE WORK.NB_Prem AS

SELECT

a.ModelPlan AS Group,
MONTH(b.EXTR_ISSUE_DATE) AS Iss_Month,
SUM(b.EXTR_GROSS_PREM)*3 AS Prem

FROM WORK.BLCFSRPT AS b INNER JOIN (SaDAVArt.DAFSRPTPlanInfo AS a INNER JOIN SaDAVArt.DAFSRPT_LPRO_MAPPING ON (a.AdminPlan=Vantage_Admin_Plan)) ON b.EXTR_ADMIN_PLAN_CODE=LifePro_Coverage_ID
WHERE YEAR(b.EXTR_ISSUE_DATE)=YEAR(&VAL_DATE)
GROUP BY Group,Iss_Month
HAVING Iss_Month=MONTH(&VAL_DATE);
RUN;
QUIT;

*******program

PROC SQL;
28 CREATE TABLE WORK.NB_Prem AS
29
30 SELECT
31
32 a.ModelPlan AS Group,
33 MONTH(b.EXTR_ISSUE_DATE) AS Iss_Month,
34 SUM(b.EXTR_GROSS_PREM)*3 AS Prem
35
36 FROM WORK.BLCFSRPT AS b INNER JOIN (SaDAVArt.DAFSRPTPlanInfo AS a INNER JOIN SaDAVArt.DAFSRPT_LPRO_MAPPING ON
36 ! (a.AdminPlan=Vantage_Admin_Plan)) ON b.EXTR_ADMIN_PLAN_CODE=LifePro_Coverage_ID
37 WHERE YEAR(b.EXTR_ISSUE_DATE)=YEAR(&VAL_DATE)
_
22
WARNING: Apparent symbolic reference VAL_DATE not resolved.
ERROR 22-322: Syntax error, expecting one of the following: a name, a quoted string, a numeric constant, a datetime constant,
a missing value, BTRIM, INPUT, PUT, SUBSTRING, USER.

38 GROUP BY Group,Iss_Month
39 HAVING Iss_Month=MONTH(&VAL_DATE);
_
22
WARNING: Apparent symbolic reference VAL_DATE not resolved.
ERROR 22-322: Syntax error, expecting one of the following: a name, a quoted string, a numeric constant, a datetime constant,
a missing value, BTRIM, INPUT, PUT, SUBSTRING, USER.

*****log

I'm running into a symbolic reference warning and subsequent syntax error from the code shown in the first vignette. Clearly there shows a put macro that assigns a macro variable to field VAL_DATE. And I looked up some solutions to this issue which included creating a %put _global_; statement which also didn't work. So what am I missing? (I'm also running by selection if that makes a difference).

Re: Warning: Apparent symbolic reference not resolved

PaigeMiller — Sun, 14 Mar 2021 22:34:24 GMT

Macro variable &VAL_DATE has not been defined.

Clearly there shows a put macro that assigns a macro variable to field VAL_DATE.

That's not what %PUT does.

You can define a macro variable and assign it a value like this:

%let val_date=;

but this creates an empty macro variable, and the rest of your program still won't run properly. You have to assign it a value that will work in your program, I don't know what that would be.

Re: Warning: Apparent symbolic reference not resolved

izzytetteh24 — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 15:11:01 GMT

Well shouldn't I assign it to &val_date? That would make it work right?

Re: Warning: Apparent symbolic reference not resolved

PaigeMiller — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 10:21:40 GMT

@izzytetteh24 wrote:
Well shouldn't I assign it to &val_date? That would make it work right?

What do you mean? What are you referring to by "it"?

Re: Warning: Apparent symbolic reference not resolved

Sajid01 — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 16:49:16 GMT

Hello @izzytetteh24

Well it is like this.
1. When a value is being assigned to macro variable the syntax is

%let var_name= the_value;

2, When the macro variable so created is to be used then an ampersand is prefixed. Thus to use the value of var_name, it would be &var_name.
Thus in your case assignment would be %let val_date=16MAR2021;
and will using it say %put &val_date. ;

(I gave this value as an example)
You will see something like this in the log

----

1 OPTIONS NONOTES NOSTIMER NOSOURCE NOSYNTAXCHECK;

73 %let val_date=16MAR2021;

74 %put &val_date.;

16MAR2021

---

As rightly pointed by @PaigeMiller you must assign a value to the macro variable other wise your program will not work.

If you get a chance please read this paper.
https://support.sas.com/resources/papers/proceedings17/1516-2017.pdf