Syntax error for no reason

[dkcundiffMD]

Coding with SAS Studio 9.4, I got the following error message:

BMI17fNS1=

743 pmeat17KCAj

744 +rmeat17KCAj

745 +fish17KCAj

746 +milk17KCAj

747 +poultry16KCAj

748 +eggs16KCAj

749 ;

750

751 BMI17fNS2=

752 fruits17KCAj

753 +vegetables17KCAj

754 +nutsseeds17KCAj

755 +potatoes16KCAj

756 +wgrains17KCAj

757 +legumes17KCAj

758 +rice16KCAj

759 +swtpot16KCAj;

760

761 BMI17fNS3=BMI17fNS1/BMI17fNS2;

762

763 BMI17fNS4=

764 (BMI17fNS3*3.04491

765 -PAMETs17m*0.00039009) /1.25398;

766

767 BMI17fNS5=BMI17fNS4 +22.20829‬;

___

22

ERROR 22-322: Syntax error, expecting one of the following: !, !!, &, *, **, +, -, /, <, <=, <>, =, >, ><, >=, AND, EQ, GE, GT, IN,

LE, LT, MAX, MIN, NE, NG, NL, NOTIN, OR, ^=, |, ||, ~=.

768 *

ERROR: The name ‬ is not a valid SAS name.

ERROR: The name ‬ is not a valid SAS name.

I first tried to add the 22.20829 in the BMI17fNS4 expression and got the same syntax error. Other times the same simple addition of a constant does not throw an error message. 

What is my problem? 

Thanks. 

David K. Cundiff

[data_null__]

In your log what is being underlined with

___
22

Proportional font does not work for SASLOG.

Show your log using {i} box.

[dkcundiffMD]

The ";" at the end of the equation was the spot with the

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22

However, when I did some further unrelated work on the code and when back, it worked. That has occasionally happened before. I'm still puzzled why. 

Thanks. 

[data_null__]

Figure out where these  characters are coming from.

[ballardw · Accepted solution]

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@dkcundiffMD wrote:

The ";" at the end of the equation was the spot with the

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22

However, when I did some further unrelated work on the code and when back, it worked. That has occasionally happened before. I'm still puzzled why. 

Thanks. 

---

You should always paste Log or Code entries into a code box opened with either the forum's {I} or "running man" icon. The main message windows reformat text and have been known to introduce HTML, or interpret certain characters as HTML for display, characters (seemingly at random) so what you paste may not actually be what the code actually was.

Since your posting shows what appears to be Call execute generated code your source code may have an invisible character that only sometimes gets inserted depending on your code or the value in your data set contains a character not valid for names. If you are using Call execute it may help to share both the code and some example data. If you use a data set for generating code you really want to validate the values for use in variable or data set names. Luckily SAS supplies functions MVALID (to test if a string is valid for a member {specify catalog, data set, itemstor, access descriptor etc.} name) and NVALID to check the validity of a string as use in a variable name.

[dkcundiffMD]

So I just put  {I} in front of anything I'm coding? Or wait till is get a bogus syntax error and then redo with  {I}?

Thanks. 

David K. Cundiff

[Tom]

CLICK on the Insert Code icon or the Insert SAS code icon on the editor menu and a window will pop-up where you can paste the lines of text you copied from your SAS log or program editor.

[dkcundiffMD]

 639        
 640        BMI17f6s=
 641        +pmeat17KCs *0.0257616*0.59026594*100
 642        +rmeat17KCs *0.28559643606‬*0.59026594*100
                                      ___
                                      22
 ERROR: The name ‬ is not a valid SAS name.
 ERROR: The name ‬ is not a valid SAS name.
 ERROR 22-322: Syntax error, expecting one of the following: !, !!, &, *, **, +, -, /, <, <=, <>, =, >, ><, >=, AND, EQ, GE, GT, LE, 
               LT, MAX, MIN, NE, NG, NL, OR, ^=, |, ||, ~=.  
 
 643        +fish17KCs *0.001355444*0.59026594*100
 644        +milk17KCs *0.152948*0.59026594*100
 645        +poultry16KCs *0.32966*0.59026594*100
 646        +eggs16KCs *0.076896*0.59026594*100
 647        
 648        - fruits17KCs *0.022533*0.59026594*100
 649        -vegetables17KCs *0.0311578*0.59026594*100
 650        -nutsseeds17KCs *0.0029001*0.59026594*100
 651        - wgrains17KCs *0.0032282*0.59026594*100
 652        -legumes17KCs *0.010995*0.59026594*100
 653        -corn16KCs*0.00005218*0.59026594*100
 654        -potatoes16KCs*0.00021426*0.59026594*100
 655        -rice16KCs *0.075717*0.59026594*100
 656        -swtpot16KCs *0.001059*0.59026594*100
 657        
 658        -PAMets17ms*0.21541 *0.59026594*100
 659        ;

It happened again. Is this what you mean? 

Thanks. 

[data_null__]

There are three characters between 6 and * that are not being displayed.  I think your issue may be related to file encoding but I don't know enough about that to be helpful.  @Tom is someone who I believe will be able to explain the issue.

[Tom]

That code E280AC is pop-directional format.  It does not really have a glyph.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bidirectional_text

Are you by any chances using languages like Arabic or Hebrew that are written from right to left on the page?

[dkcundiffMD]

No. I'm not using Arabic, Hebrew, or other foreign language.
Thanks.

[dkcundiffMD]

I removed the non displaying code that you pointed out and it worked!

Thank you very much.