topic Re: Passing multiple values in call symput in SAS Procedures

Passing multiple values in call symput

Sharathr — Tue, 28 Nov 2017 20:06:56 GMT

Hi forum,
Is it possible to pass multiple values to a macro variable created in call symput.
Data sample;
Infile data lines;
Input name $;
Data lines;
John
Mark
Carl
;
Data _null_;
Set sample;
Call symput(name1,name);
Run;

How can I assign the each data step values separately to macro variable and use it in my code?

Re: Passing multiple values in call symput

Reeza — Tue, 28 Nov 2017 20:14:06 GMT

Are you trying to create a single macro variable or many here? Personally, I find SQL easier to use in these cases.

Multiple macro variables:

Proc sql noprint;
Select name into : name1-
From sashelp.class;
Quit;

%put &name1.;
%put &name19.;

Single macro variable, delimited by space:

Proc sql noprint;
Select name into :name_list separated by “ “
From sashelp.class; 
Quit;
%put &name_list;

Re: Passing multiple values in call symput

ballardw — Tue, 28 Nov 2017 20:22:03 GMT

The following datastep creates a single macro variable for each record in your set and a variable that has the count.

Data _null_;
   Set sample;
   mvarname= catt('name',_n_);
   Call symputx(mvarname,name);
   call symputx('numnames',_n_);
Run;

Old school, as in SAS 6. I would go with @Reeza's Proc SQL most of the time these days.

Re: Passing multiple values in call symput

Sharathr — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 05:07:58 GMT

This worked.thanks a lot.

Re: Passing multiple values in call symput

Reeza — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 15:42:38 GMT

@Sharathr please choose someone else's answer as the solution, not your own.