topic Re: proc lua - submit macro variable with period (bug or feature?) in SAS Procedures

proc lua - submit macro variable with period (bug or feature?)

AllanBowe — Tue, 15 Jan 2019 09:41:34 GMT

I tried running the following code today:

%let mapping_table=work.config;
proc lua restart;
submit "mapping_table=&mapping_table" ;
  print(mapping_table)
endsubmit;
run;

Which resulted in:

ERROR: SUBMIT block:1: attempt to index global 'work' (a nil value)

Removing the period (.) resolves the issue.

Is this a bug? Or a feature?

SYSVLONG=9.04.01M3P062415

Re: proc lua - submit macro variable with period (bug or feature?)

rhale — Tue, 15 Jan 2019 10:03:51 GMT

Try using single quotes around the macro variable in the SUBMIT statement:

%let mapping_table=work.config;
proc lua restart;
submit "mapping_table='&mapping_table'" ;
  print(mapping_table)
endsubmit;
run;

Re: proc lua - submit macro variable with period (bug or feature?)

AllanBowe — Tue, 15 Jan 2019 10:24:41 GMT

The bug was in my brain.. Of course, when creating a lua variable, it needs a type - so strings must be quoted (else they will be interpreted as a variable name)

Re: proc lua - submit macro variable with period (bug or feature?)

sspkmnd — Tue, 15 Jan 2019 12:26:30 GMT

Another (more reliable) approach is to use sas.symput function:

%let mapping_table=work.config;
proc lua restart;
submit;
  mapping_table = sas.symget('mapping_table')
  print(mapping_table)
endsubmit;
run;

Re: proc lua - submit macro variable with period (bug or feature?)

AllanBowe — Tue, 15 Jan 2019 12:30:46 GMT

indeed - this approach will handle nested quotes, and long values, unlike the `submit` approach. Thanks!