topic Re: Why this happens? many thks in SAS Health and Life Sciences

Why this happens? many thks

deleted_user — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 06:46:18 GMT

%let a=1;
%let b=2;
%let ab=a b;
%symdel &ab;

the above statements works well, but the below will make error:

%macro test;
%let a=1;
%let b=2;
%let ab=a b;
%symdel &ab;
%mend;
%test;

ERROR: Macro variable name & must start with a letter or underscore.

Re: Why this happens? many thks

Olivier — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 10:41:06 GMT

%SYMDEL only deletes GLOBAL macro-variables, hence does not delete (does not have access to) macro-variables created inside a macro-program (except if declared global when created).
This would work :

%MACRO test ;
%GLOBAL a ;
%GLOBAL b ;
%GLOBAL ab ;
%LET a = 1 ; %LET b = 2 ; %LET ab = a b ;
%SYMDEL &ab ;
%MEND test ;
%test ;

Re:

deleted_user — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 00:47:11 GMT

in v9 it's ok, BUT in v8 it would make error .

Re: Why this happens? many thks

Olivier — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 08:23:37 GMT

I do not have problems, using either version 9 or 8.2 (hot fix bundle 82BX07). What does exactly your error say ?

Re: Why this happens? many thks

deleted_user — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 10:07:04 GMT

1 %MACRO test ;
2 %GLOBAL a ;
3 %GLOBAL b ;
4 %GLOBAL ab ;
5 %LET a = 1 ; %LET b = 2 ; %LET ab = a b ;
6 %SYMDEL &ab ;
7 %MEND test ;
8 %test ;
ERROR: Macro variable name & must start with a letter or underscore.

BUT Test2 will be ok

19 %MACRO test2 ;
20 %GLOBAL a ;
21 %GLOBAL b ;
22 %GLOBAL ab ;
23 %LET a = 1 ; %LET b = 2 ; %LET ab = a b ;
24 %unquote(%nrstr(%SYMDEL &ab)) ;
25 %MEND test2 ;
26 %test2 ;

Re: Why this happens? many thks

TobyDunn_hotmail_com — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 22:17:06 GMT

This is a known bug: http://support.sas.com/techsup/unotes/SN/005/005975.html

Why worry about it, any macro variable that was not previously defined as a global macro variable is local to that macro. Thus, when the macro is finished executing the macro variables goes away. Deleting them is just redundent and makes the code more confusing.

Re: Thanks!

deleted_user — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 09:40:48 GMT

Thanks

Re: Why this happens? many thks

deleted_user — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 07:06:33 GMT

Hi friends,
please advice and guidance to get results and if you interested please attach any programmes otherwise ignore my problem.if you interested please attach my mail id-sudhakar.987@gmail.com

Thank ,