topic Re: PROC FORMAT for negative range in UNIX (bash) in SAS Procedures

PROC FORMAT for negative range in UNIX (bash)

KP12 — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 14:33:32 GMT

Hello Everyone, I'm trying to execute below code in UNIX (bash):

proc format;

value attr4_fmt
low - < -90000 = "(< -90000)"
-90000 - 523999 = "(-90000 - 523999)"
524000 - high = "(523999 <)";
run;

But getting following error:

NOTE: PROCEDURE FORMAT used (Total process time):
real time 0.00 seconds
cpu time 0.00 seconds

1531 + -90000 – 523999 = "(-90000 – 523999)"
_
22
76
ERROR 22-322: Syntax error, expecting one of the following: (, ',', -, <, =.

ERROR 76-322: Syntax error, statement will be ignored.

Can someone please help to figure out what I'm missing here ?

Re: PROC FORMAT for negative range in UNIX (bash)

RW9 — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 14:46:07 GMT

Works fine on 9.4 windows SAS (note you dont need the < in the first one, it is low to -9000). Have you tried resetting and running just that code, am thinking maybe something else is causing the problem.:

proc format;
  value attr4_fmt
    low - -90000 = "(< -90000)"
    -90000 - 523999 = "(-90000 - 523999)"
    524000 - high = "(523999 <)";
run;

Re: PROC FORMAT for negative range in UNIX (bash)

FreelanceReinh — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 14:50:02 GMT

Hello @KP12,

While your code seems to be okay (and I think you do need the "<" sign), your log excerpt shows different types of "hyphens." Please replace all these by ordinary hyphens and the errors should go away.

Re: PROC FORMAT for negative range in UNIX (bash)

KP12 — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 14:51:55 GMT

Yes, that's correct it works completely fine in Windows environment, but in UNIX it doesn't, I believe it's because of misinterpretation of -(negative) sign with -(dash) sign of range by UNIX. I tried running this code after removing negative sign and it worked.

Re: PROC FORMAT for negative range in UNIX (bash)

KP12 — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 14:56:03 GMT

Hello @FreelanceReinhard,

Actually I copied the log and pasted here so it looks like different types of hyphens (may be because of font change while pasting), in real all are ordinary hyphens only.

Re: PROC FORMAT for negative range in UNIX (bash)

FreelanceReinh — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 14:57:57 GMT

Sounds strange. Can you perhaps save your code (only the PROC FORMAT step) and post it as an attachment (.txt file)?

Re: PROC FORMAT for negative range in UNIX (bash)

Astounding — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 15:05:06 GMT

I copied the code as posted, and it ran fine under Unix. Perhaps there are slight differences between your Windows code and your Unix code? You could find out by reading your code (line by line, as a long character variable), and printing it out in hex.

Re: PROC FORMAT for negative range in UNIX (bash)

KP12 — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 15:06:31 GMT

Attached is the code I'm using in .txt file.

Re: PROC FORMAT for negative range in UNIX (bash)

KP12 — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 15:09:00 GMT

I'm using attached code in UNIX, can you please have a look and suggest if I'm missing something ?

Re: PROC FORMAT for negative range in UNIX (bash)

FreelanceReinh — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 15:12:04 GMT

I've just looked at your first attachment with a hex editor: As expected, the "hyphen" in question (between -90000 and 523999) is different from the others: It is '96'x, not '2D'x as it should.

Re: PROC FORMAT for negative range in UNIX (bash)

KP12 — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 15:14:23 GMT

Can you please explain this a bit, I'm very new to UNIX so don't have much idea about it.

Re: PROC FORMAT for negative range in UNIX (bash)

data_null__ — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 15:16:06 GMT

It's not the negative 9000 is it the hyphen between the values. It is hex '96'x not '2D'x like it should be.

Re: PROC FORMAT for negative range in UNIX (bash)

FreelanceReinh — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 15:22:54 GMT

I'd say, simply overtype this "mock hyphen" with an ordinary hyphen or copy and paste one of the minus signs from your code at this place.

Edit: Also, with this character I get the same error message in a Windows SAS session -- not surprisingly, because SAS requires the correct characters, regardless of the operating system.

Re: PROC FORMAT for negative range in UNIX (bash)

KP12 — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 15:22:39 GMT

Many Thanks 🙂