topic Re: The max amont of macro variables can be defined in a proc sql in SAS Procedures

The max amont of macro variables can be defined in a proc sql

Mike_Davis — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:20:37 GMT

Hello everyone,

What is the max amont of macro variables can be defined in proc sql ? and any option can change the default value?

Thanks.

If dataset One has millons of obs, could I do this?"

proc sql noprint;

select values into :value1 - :value1000000000..?

from One

;

quit;

Re: The max amont of macro variables can be defined in a proc sql

Haikuo — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:27:39 GMT

I am not aware if there is a SAS limit. I think you will most likely hit your hardware limit first.

Regards,

Haikuo

Re: The max amont of macro variables can be defined in a proc sql

FloydNevseta — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:23:32 GMT

I agree. Generally, the symbol tables are contained in memory, but once those limits are reached the values are written to disk, so your limits are constrained by your operating environment and not by SAS. However, just because you could doesn't mean that you should. I find that there are more efficient methods of processing data without creating several million macro variables.

Re: The max amont of macro variables can be defined in a proc sql

ballardw — Thu, 10 May 2012 19:35:18 GMT

The option that controls the size of your macro space is MSYMTABMAX.

I wouold seriously re-evaluate any logic as to why I was thinking I needed a billion or more macro variables.

Re: The max amont of macro variables can be defined in a proc sql

Mike_Davis — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:54:33 GMT

Hello SAS_Bigot,

Would you like to introduce some efficient methods of processing data without creating several million macro variables?

Thank you!

Mike

Re: The max amont of macro variables can be defined in a proc sql

Haikuo — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:15:08 GMT

I am still at the loss of what do you want to achieve. If you want to get the value of, say 1000th row of variable 'values', in your original plot, you would use macro variable value1000, you could simply do something like the following:

data _null_;

n=1000;

set one point=n;

call symputx ('value1000', values);

stop;

run;

Haikuo