FUNCTIONS

[robertrao]

Hi Team,

Could you please explain to me the meaning of the following sentence?

"Data step functions work on charecter strings, numeric values and data step variable values. Macro functions are applied to TEXT STINGS THAT NEVER CONTAIN THE VALUES OF DATASTEP VARIABLES"

From: paper 4-25 by Art Carpenter

Regards

[art297]

I really should let Art speak for himself, which I'm sure he will anyhow, but I think he may have been referring to the following fact about macro functions: macro functions operate before the DATA step executes

[ArtC · Accepted solution]

Art T is correct. Because macro language elements are executed before the Program Data Vector, PDV, has been established, macro functions cannot work with values on the PDV (data step variable values, and such).  The macro language primarily works with text, it is afterall a code generation language.  You can think of text as being keystrokes that may eventually become a part of your program.