How to use the loop number as numeric operand?

[MaximB91]

Good day everyone,

I'm trying to write a code to automaticly group a variable in predefined buckets. In a last step I want to name the value (bucket name) based on the loop number, but somehow I'm not able to do this.

The code of this last step is as follows:

Data Want;
set Have;

/* If the observation has no bucket yet proceed to actions */
IF &Bucket.='' THEN DO;

	/* Go through as many loops as there are buckets */
	DO i=1 TO (2+(&MinValue.+&MaxValue.)/&Step.)-2;
		
		/* If the value is > the minimum value of the bucket and <= the max value, then this should be the bucket*/
		IF &Value. > &MinValue.+(i-1)*&Step. AND &Value. <= &MinValue.+ i*&Step. THEN 
			
			DO;	/* If the bucket number is < 10 use 00 as a prefix, <100 use 0 as a prefix and otherwise use no prefix */
				IF i + 1 < 10 THEN &Bucket.= "00%SYSEVALF(i+1). > %SYSEVALF(&MinValue.+(i-1)*&Step.) and <= %SYSEVALF(&MinValue.+i*&Step.)";

				IF i + 1 >= 10 and i+1 < 100 THEN &Bucket.= "0%SYSEVALF(i+1). > %SYSEVALF(&MinValue.+(i-1)*&Step.) and <= %SYSEVALF(&MinValue.+i*&Step.)";

				IF i + 1 >= 100 THEN &Bucket.= "%SYSEVALF(i+1). > %SYSEVALF(&MinValue.+(i-1)*&Step.) and <= %SYSEVALF(&MinValue.+i*&Step.)";
			END;
	END;
END;

run;

For example:

"00%SYSEVALF(&i.+1). > %SYSEVALF(&MinValue.+(&i.-1)*&Step.) and <= %SYSEVALF(&MinValue.+&i.*&Step.)";

Should result in: "002. > 0 and <= 10" if &Value. equals a number between 0 and 10.

However SAS doesn't treat "i" as a numeric value in the generation of the result, but as the character i. So the %SYSEVALF() function doesn't work.:

ERROR: A character operand was found in the %EVAL function or %IF condition where a numeric operand is required. The condition was:

i+1

SAS does treat "i" as a numeric operand in the prior IF statement. I'm confused. Is there a solution for this?

Regards,

Maxim

[RW9]

First off, why all the macro code?  All that macro code in there is irrelevant - you can do these things in straight datastep - and it is also not explained, What is &Bucket. ?

Secondly why not use the procedure written to do this kind of thing;

http://documentation.sas.com/?docsetId=proc&docsetTarget=p0le3p5ngj1zlbn1mh3tistq9t76.htm&docsetVers...

[Astounding · Accepted solution]

You have correctly identified the problem.  Here's one way to approach a solution.

&bucket. = catx(' ', put(i, z3.), '>', &MinValue.+(i-1)*&Step., 'and <=' ,&MinValue.+i*&Step.);

It is conceivable that you need to tweak this, since the values for &MinValue and &Step are constant for the duration of the DATA step.  However, the formulas might work just as they are ... just one way to find out.

[MaximB91]

Thank you! This actually works. I tweaked it to:
&Bucket. = cat('00',i+1,'.',' > ', &MinValue.+(i-1)*&Step., ' and <= ' ,&MinValue.+i*&Step.);

[Astounding]

Glad it's working.  I hope you checked out the Z3 format.  It means you might need just one formula instead of 3 formulas for different ranges.  Something like:

&Bucket. = cat( put(i+1,z3.) || '.',' > ', &MinValue.+(i-1)*&Step., ' and <= ' ,&MinValue.+i*&Step.);

[MaximB91]

This works even better. Thanks a lot!

[Kurt_Bremser]

The macro functions are evaluated while the data step code is fetched for compilation, and see i as text and not as a variable name.

Don't use macro statements for actions that should happen when the data step runs.