datastep error due to macro / correction needed

[PierreYvesILY]

dear SAS experts,

I have this:

* Jahr1 = aktuelles Jahr, Jahr2 = Vorjahr ;

%let Jahr1=%year(&Auswertungstag.);

%let Jahr2=%eval(&Jahr1.-1);

%put &Jahr1.;

%put &Jahr2.;

data ORB_Select_&Jahr2.;

set MUC_PROD.ORB_&Jahr2. (keep= ZSRID ANZAHL MONAT KW PLATTFORM MBRBEZ_BT MARKTREGION_BT

NLBEZ_BT MR_KOMPAKT_BT);

jahr=&Jahr2.;

run;

data ORB_Select_&Jahr1.;

set MUC_PROD.ORB_&Jahr1. (keep= ZSRID ANZAHL MONAT KW PLATTFORM MBRBEZ_BT MARKTREGION_BT

NLBEZ_BT MR_KOMPAKT_BT);

jahr=&Jahr1.;

run;

I get the following errors:

25 GOPTIONS ACCESSIBLE;

26 data ORB_Select_&Jahr2.;

27 set MUC_PROD.ORB_&Jahr2. (keep= ZSRID ANZAHL MONAT KW PLATTFORM MBRBEZ_BT MARKTREGION_BT

28 NLBEZ_BT MR_KOMPAKT_BT);

29 jahr=&Jahr2.;

30 run;

NOTE: There were 410737 observations read from the data set MUC_PROD.ORB_2020.

NOTE: The data set WORK.ORB_SELECT_2020 has 410737 observations and 10 variables.

NOTE: Compressing data set WORK.ORB_SELECT_2020 decreased size by 42.23 percent.

Compressed is 669 pages; un-compressed would require 1158 pages.

NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):

real time 1.74 seconds

cpu time 0.75 seconds

31 data ORB_Select_&Jahr1.;

NOTE: Line generated by the macro variable "JAHR1".

31 ORB_Select_2021

____

22

____

200

ERROR 22-322: Syntax error, expecting one of the following: a name, a quoted string, (, /, ;, _DATA_, _LAST_, _NULL_.

ERROR 200-322: The symbol is not recognized and will be ignored.

32 set MUC_PROD.ORB_&Jahr1. (keep= ZSRID ANZAHL MONAT KW PLATTFORM MBRBEZ_BT MARKTREGION_BT

NOTE: Line generated by the macro variable "JAHR1".

32 MUC_PROD.ORB_2021

____

22

____

2 The SAS System 09:12 Friday, February 26, 2021

200

ERROR 22-322: Syntax error, expecting one of the following: a name, a quoted string, (, -, :, ;, CUROBS, END, INDSNAME, KEY,

KEYRESET, KEYS, NOBS, OPEN, POINT, _DATA_, _LAST_, _NULL_.

ERROR 200-322: The symbol is not recognized and will be ignored.

33 NLBEZ_BT MR_KOMPAKT_BT);

ERROR: File MUC_PROD.ORB_.DATA does not exist.

ERROR: The metadata for the table/view MUC_PROD.ORB_ does not exist.

34 jahr=&Jahr1.;

35 run;

NOTE: Compression was disabled for data set WORK.ORB_SELECT_ because compression overhead would increase the size of the data set.

NOTE: The SAS System stopped processing this step because of errors.

WARNING: The data set WORK.ORB_SELECT_ may be incomplete. When this step was stopped there were 0 observations and 1 variables.

WARNING: Data set WORK.ORB_SELECT_ was not replaced because this step was stopped.

NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):

real time 0.00 seconds

cpu time 0.00 seconds

I can't understand what's wrong, as the datastep text is exactly the same and works for the first one.

How can I correct this?

thx in advance

regards

PY

[Shmuel]

I assume %year is a predefined macro, unknown to me.

What is the result of next test code:

%let Jahr1=%year(&Auswertungstag.);
%put *&Jahr1*

are there blanks or special characters in the PUT result?

[FreelanceReinh]

Hello @PierreYvesILY,

To me this looks like a macro quoting issue.

Change the definition of macro variable Jahr1 to

%let Jahr1=%unquote(%year(&Auswertungstag.));

[Kurt_Bremser]

%YEAR is not a standard SAS macro function, so it is of interest to see the code of that macro.

But why don't you use the SAS function (assuming AUSWERTUNGSTAG contains a SAS date value)?

%let auswertungstag=%sysfunc(today());
%let jahr1=%sysfunc(year(&auswertungstag.));
%put &=jahr1.;

data ORB_Select_&Jahr1.;
set sashelp.class;
run;

Log:

 73         %let auswertungstag=%sysfunc(today());
 74         %let jahr1=%sysfunc(year(&auswertungstag.));
 75         %put &=jahr1.;
 JAHR1=2021
 76         
 77         data ORB_Select_&Jahr1.;
 78         set sashelp.class;
 79         run;
 
 NOTE: There were 19 observations read from the data set SASHELP.CLASS.
 NOTE: The data set WORK.ORB_SELECT_2021 has 19 observations and 5 variables.
 NOTE:  Verwendet wurde: DATA statement - (Gesamtverarbeitungszeit):
       real time           0.01 seconds
       cpu time            0.01 seconds

[PierreYvesILY]

I actually solved the problem writing this:

* Jahr1 = aktuelles Jahr, Jahr2 = Vorjahr ;

%let Jahr1=%eval(%year(&Auswertungstag.));

%let Jahr2=%eval(&Jahr1.-1);

%put &Jahr1.;

%put &Jahr2.;

I don't know if it's worse than the solutions you proposed.

[Kurt_Bremser · Accepted solution]

If the %YEAR macro does nothing else than the data step YEAR function, then I would (for reasons of maintainability) always use the data step function with %sysfunc.

The same holds true for every case where there already is a SAS function available.

And IF you absolutely want to shorten your typing, the %YEAR macro should be defined like this:

%let auswertungstag = %sysfunc(today());

%macro year(datum);
%sysfunc(year(&datum.));
%mend;

%let jahr1 = %year(&auswertungstag.);

data test&jahr1.;
set sashelp.class;
run;

No fancy processing, no quoting.