trouble with the index function when parsing a character variable in the same data step

[acordes]

I cannot pass the variable as the source argument in the index function.

DATA TEST;
INPUT NAME $20.;
CARDS;
LARS
ARNE
TOM
;
RUN;

PROC SQL;
SELECT STRIP(NAME) INTO :NOM SEPARATED BY " "
FROM TEST;
QUIT;

DATA TEST2;
FORMAT WORD CONT $200.;
DO I=1 TO 3 UNTIL(CONT="");
WORD=SCAN(SYMGET('NOM'),I, " ");
CONT=SCAN(SYMGET('NOM'),I+1, " ");
MACRO_VAR=SYMGET('NOM');
HELP="'" || strip(WORD) || "'";
NOK=INDEX(SYMGET('NOM'), STRIP(HELP));
OK=INDEX(SYMGET('NOM'), 'ARNE');
OUTPUT;
END;
RUN;

[ballardw · Accepted solution]

Please describe what you are attempting to do. The code runs but I have no idea what the output should be.

And your index is likely failing because you have quotes around the value in "HELP" so there isn't a match in the string.

And you really don't need to keep calling symget:

DATA TEST2;
   FORMAT WORD CONT $200.;
   DO I=1 TO 3 UNTIL(CONT="");
      WORD=SCAN("&nom.",I, " ");
      CONT=SCAN("&nom.",I+1, " ");
      MACRO_VAR="&nom.";
      HELP="'" || strip(WORD) || "'";
      NOK=INDEX("&nom.",strip(WORD));
      OK=INDEX("&nom.", 'ARNE');
      OUTPUT;
   END;
RUN;