topic Re: call symput problem in SAS Procedures

call symput problem

Mirisage — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 20:14:53 GMT

Hi Forum,

I have this dataset.

data CCCC;

input yearmonth age;

cards;

201112 10

201012 20

201207 30

;

run;

I need to pick the latest vlaue of variable named yearmonth (which is 201207) and feed that value into sql code below.

/*SQL code*/

proc sql;

select age

from anyname

where yearmonth = '&latest';

run;

My approach

proc sort data=CCCC out= anyname;

by descending yearmonth;

run;

data _null_;

set anyname;

if _n_=1 then do;

call symput('latest',yearmonth);

stop;

end;

run;

problem

An error messege comes.

ERROR: Expression using equals (=) has components that are of different data types.

Could anyone please help me to fix this.

Thanks

Mirisage

Re: call symput problem

mkeintz — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 20:31:24 GMT

Yearmonth is a numeric variable, but macrovar can only be characters. You can

call symput('latest',cats(yearmonth));

which takes advantage of the behavior of the CAT functions to automatically convert number values to character.

Before the advent of the CAT functions, we would

call symput('lastest',put(yearmonth,8.0-L));

Re: call symput problem

art297 — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 21:05:03 GMT

Mark already answered your question about creating a macro variable, but I have to ask: why not just get the result from a single proc sql run? e.g.:

proc sql;

select age

from CCCC

having yearmonth = max(yearmonth);

;

quit;

Re: call symput problem

Astounding — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 21:05:16 GMT

The WHERE clause will need to use double quotes, not single quotes:

where yearmonth = "&latest";

Macro variable references in single quotes do not get resolved.

Regarding CALL SYMPUT, the earlier comment is correct. An easier solution would be to add a single letter:

call symputX('latest', yearmonth);

Good luck.

Re: call symput problem

Mirisage — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 00:43:28 GMT

Hi Mkeintz, Art and Astounding,

Thank very much every one of you for this excellent clarification.

Hi Art,

What you have suggested is also quite correct.

Warm regards

Mirisage