I'm trying to figure out why this macro logic is working in this way:
%let bwgt=50;
%macro test;
%if 0 lt &bwgt and &bwgt lt 50 %then %put test1;
%if 0 lt &bwgt lt 50 %then %put test2;
%mend test;
%test;
This returns test2.
Why is it returning this when bwgt=50?
Obviously I can just write my code with an "and" and get around this issue, but I'm curious as to why this is happening
Thanks,
Kate
Unlike a DATA step, macro language does not process this as two separate comparisons:
0 lt &bwgt lt 50
Instead, macro language processes from left to right, as if you had coded:
(0 lt &bwgt) lt 50
Like a DATA step, macro language replaces true comparisons with a 0 and false comparisons with a 1. Since both 0 and 1 are less than 50, you will always get "test2" for any numeric value of &bwgt even if it's 55.
Good job on prodding, exploring, and asking.
Can't fins any references in documentation to that you can use the same between and logic with %if (as you can with if in the data step). But I can't explain why this is happening. You wanted this test to come up as false, right?
Right since bwgt is not gt 0 and lt 50.
Don't miss out on SAS Innovate - Register now for the FREE Livestream!
Can't make it to Vegas? No problem! Watch our general sessions LIVE or on-demand starting April 17th. Hear from SAS execs, best-selling author Adam Grant, Hot Ones host Sean Evans, top tech journalist Kara Swisher, AI expert Cassie Kozyrkov, and the mind-blowing dance crew iLuminate! Plus, get access to over 20 breakout sessions.
Learn how use the CAT functions in SAS to join values from multiple variables into a single value.
Find more tutorials on the SAS Users YouTube channel.