topic Re: Apparent symbolic reference PATH not resolved in SAS Studio

Apparent symbolic reference PATH not resolved

rachelgabbard0 — Wed, 09 Jan 2019 14:41:34 GMT

libname np xlsx "/home/rachelgabbard0/EPG194/data/np_info.xlsx";
/* Enterprise Guide: */
libname np xlsx "&path/np_info.xlsx";

this is my code and this is the warning I get

WARNING: Apparent symbolic reference PATH not resolved.

I am in the essentials course and am trying to learn SAS for work.

Re: Apparent symbolic reference PATH not resolved

PaigeMiller — Wed, 09 Jan 2019 14:47:42 GMT

&path in this case is a macro variable

However, the error message indicates that macro variable &path does not exist, and so it can't be used.

Thus you have to give &path a value (it's probably a folder name where the Excel file np_info.xlsx is stored). So on my computer, I could use this line of code at the start of my program:

%let path=c:\users\pmiller\documents;

Naturally, your value for path will be different.

Re: Apparent symbolic reference PATH not resolved

SuryaKiran — Wed, 09 Jan 2019 14:52:21 GMT

Hello,

&path -- This is referencing a macro variable, you need to learn about macros in SAS.

Macro variable 'path' has to be defined first in order to reference it later.

For example:

%let path = /home/rachelgabbard0/EPG194/data;
options symbolgen;
libname np xlsx "&path/np_info.xlsx";

Here the Symbolgen option will tell you the values that was replaced in place of the macro reference in log.

In log:

SYMBOLGEN:  Macro variable PATH resolves to /home/rachelgabbard0/EPG194/data

This means &path was replaced by /home/rachelgabbard0/EPG194/data

Re: Apparent symbolic reference PATH not resolved

rachelgabbard0 — Wed, 09 Jan 2019 15:57:49 GMT

That fixed it. Thank you so much