Add quotation marks to string

[scify]

Let's say I have macro variable &mvar that has a list of values in it (aaaaa bbbbb ccccc ... zzzzz). I need to surround each of these values with quotation marks so that I can use them later in my program as a list of possible character variable values (i.e., "if var1 in (&mvar) then X"). Is there a way to do this programatically, or am I stuck doing it by hand? (Using SAS Enterprise Guide 7.11)

[Astounding · Accepted solution]

You're in luck.  Someone else asked the same question earlier today.

https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Procedures/Adding-Single-Quote-to-list-of-strings/m-p/302599

Also note, you don't have to necessarily break out the strings individually.  You could also use:

if index(" &mvar ", ' ' || strip(var1) || ' ') then do;

You will need the leading and trailing blanks to make the comparison produce the right result.

[Patrick]

To create the macro variable with quotes in the same place than the macro variable with blanks is likely the "best" approach but shouldn't this be possible for some reason then below code will do the job as well.

%let mvar=aaaaa bbbbb ccccc zzzzz;

%let mvar_quotes=%nrbquote(')%qsysfunc(prxchange(s/\s+/%nrbquote(',')/oi,-1,&mvar))%nrbquote(');

%put mvar_quotes: %bquote(&mvar_quotes);

SAS Log:

mvar_quotes: 'aaaaa','bbbbb','ccccc','zzzzz' 

[Ksharp]

Or maybe you don't need add quote around them, use SYMGET() instead.

%let list=F M;
data x;
 set sashelp.class;
 if findw(symget('list'),strip(sex));
run;