Adding a label to refline in proc sgpanel when refline is a date var

[Bhando]

Hello, I am using proc sgpanel to plot encounters over time for 2 variables (disease rates) across 4 groups (hospitals).  Each hospital has a different date for when they switch health records, which I've stored in the variable 'mgen_date'.  The reference line shows up fine, but I can't figure how to apply a label to it.  When I try the code below it doesn't apply the label and gives the warning: "

proc sgpanel data=XXXX;
	where fisc_monyr >= '01Nov2015'd;
	panelby hotel / layout=rowlattice onepanel
		novarname uniscale=column;
	series x=fisc_monyr y=xxx / legendlabel='Any XXX' lineattrs=(color=black);
	series x=fisc_monyr y=yyy / legendlabel='YYY XXX' lineattrs=(color=crimson);
	colaxis grid
			values=('01Nov2015'd to '01Oct2021'd) 
			label="Month-Year"
			display=all interval=semiyear  valuesrotate=diagonal notimesplit;
	rowaxis grid
			label="Cars per month";
	format fisc_monyr monyy..;
	/*Add refline for tanker date*/
	refline tanker_date / axis=x label="Mardi Gras Start" lineattrs=(color=gray
										pattern=shortDash
										thickness=1)
										transparency=0.1;
run;

NOTE: CURVELABEL='MGEN Start' is invalid. The option value cannot be a string when a column of reference lines is plotted. The label will not be drawn."

Here is the graph: 

I also have questions about how to format the x-axis, but I'll save that for later.  Thanks so much!

Ben 

[ballardw · Accepted solution]

Per the documentation of the REFLINE statement for SGpanel:

a text string for the label value.

Restriction

The label string does not apply when a variable is used for the REFLINE value. In that situation, the label string is ignored and a message is written to the log.

If you want to add other text then you could add a variable to the data set to use as the Label= variable in the refline. That value could be different for each Panelby value. One way:

data plotclass;
   set sashelp.class;
   if sex='F' then do;
       refage=12;
       reflabel='Female Refline';
   end;
   else do;
      refage=13;
      reflabel='Male reference';
   end;
run;


proc sgpanel data=plotclass;
   panelby sex;
   scatter x=age y=weight;
   refline refage /axis=x label=reflabel;
run;

[Bhando]

This worked! I wouldn't have thought of this. Thanks so much for your time and expertise, ballardw