topic Resolving a Macro variable within Format within PROC DATA. in SAS Procedures

Resolving a Macro variable within Format within PROC DATA.

braverju — Sun, 13 Dec 2015 18:29:31 GMT

Dear everybody!

How can I refer to the dynamic name of the format?

Here is my situation:

%Macro myMacro (myVar);

PROC FORMAT CNTLOUT= fmtdataset;
VALUE &myVar
1 = 'Label1'
2 = 'Label2'
;
RUN;

Data somedataset_formatted;

set somedataset;

FORMAT &myVar &myVar. ; /*I also tried FORMAT &myVar "&myVar."; – get a syntax error message */

RUN;

%Mend myMacro

When I call %myMacro (variableName) I get no errors. The file fmtdataset contains the appropriate format "variableName". However, in the dataset "somedataset" the variable variableName doesn't get formatted. If I replace the macro with values, i.e.,

FORMAT variableName variableName. it works just fine.

Thank you very much

Julia

Re: Resolving a Macro variable within Format within PROC DATA.

Reeza — Sun, 13 Dec 2015 18:30:29 GMT

I think you need an extra period at the end of the format name. Periods are used to indicate the end of a macro variable, so the first one gets used by the macro variable and the second is for the format.

FORMAT &myVar &myVar.. ;

Re: Resolving a Macro variable within Format within PROC DATA.

braverju — Sun, 13 Dec 2015 18:33:37 GMT

Hurray! It worked. Thank you very much!