Warning: Apparent symbolic reference not resolved

[izzytetteh24]

%PUT VAL_DATE=&VAL_DATE;
%PUT _global_;

PROC SQL;
CREATE TABLE WORK.NB_Prem AS

SELECT

a.ModelPlan AS Group,
MONTH(b.EXTR_ISSUE_DATE) AS Iss_Month,
SUM(b.EXTR_GROSS_PREM)*3 AS Prem

FROM WORK.BLCFSRPT AS b INNER JOIN (SaDAVArt.DAFSRPTPlanInfo AS a INNER JOIN SaDAVArt.DAFSRPT_LPRO_MAPPING ON (a.AdminPlan=Vantage_Admin_Plan)) ON b.EXTR_ADMIN_PLAN_CODE=LifePro_Coverage_ID
WHERE YEAR(b.EXTR_ISSUE_DATE)=YEAR(&VAL_DATE)
GROUP BY Group,Iss_Month
HAVING Iss_Month=MONTH(&VAL_DATE);
RUN;
QUIT;

*******program

PROC SQL;
28 CREATE TABLE WORK.NB_Prem AS
29
30 SELECT
31
32 a.ModelPlan AS Group,
33 MONTH(b.EXTR_ISSUE_DATE) AS Iss_Month,
34 SUM(b.EXTR_GROSS_PREM)*3 AS Prem
35
36 FROM WORK.BLCFSRPT AS b INNER JOIN (SaDAVArt.DAFSRPTPlanInfo AS a INNER JOIN SaDAVArt.DAFSRPT_LPRO_MAPPING ON
36 ! (a.AdminPlan=Vantage_Admin_Plan)) ON b.EXTR_ADMIN_PLAN_CODE=LifePro_Coverage_ID
37 WHERE YEAR(b.EXTR_ISSUE_DATE)=YEAR(&VAL_DATE)
                                                                                  _
                                                                                 22
WARNING: Apparent symbolic reference VAL_DATE not resolved.
ERROR 22-322: Syntax error, expecting one of the following: a name, a quoted string, a numeric constant, a datetime constant,
a missing value, BTRIM, INPUT, PUT, SUBSTRING, USER.

38 GROUP BY Group,Iss_Month
39 HAVING Iss_Month=MONTH(&VAL_DATE);
                                                      _
                                                      22
WARNING: Apparent symbolic reference VAL_DATE not resolved.
ERROR 22-322: Syntax error, expecting one of the following: a name, a quoted string, a numeric constant, a datetime constant,
a missing value, BTRIM, INPUT, PUT, SUBSTRING, USER.

*****log

I'm running into a symbolic reference warning and subsequent syntax error from the code shown in the first vignette. Clearly there shows a put macro that assigns a macro variable to field VAL_DATE. And I looked up some solutions to this issue which included creating a %put _global_; statement which also didn't work. So what am I missing? (I'm also running by selection if that makes a difference).

[PaigeMiller]

Macro variable &VAL_DATE has not been defined.

Clearly there shows a put macro that assigns a macro variable to field VAL_DATE.

That's not what %PUT does.

You can define a macro variable and assign it a value like this:

%let val_date=;

but this creates an empty macro variable, and the rest of your program still won't run properly. You have to assign it a value that will work in your program, I don't know what that would be.

[izzytetteh24]

Well shouldn't I assign it to &val_date? That would make it work right?

[PaigeMiller]

---

@izzytetteh24 wrote:
Well shouldn't I assign it to &val_date? That would make it work right?

---

What do you mean? What are you referring to by "it"?

[Sajid01 · Accepted solution]

Hello @izzytetteh24 

Well it is like this.
1. When a value is being assigned to macro variable the syntax is

  %let var_name= the_value;

  2, When the macro variable so created is to be used then an ampersand is prefixed. Thus to use the value of var_name, it would be &var_name. 
Thus in your case assignment would be %let val_date=16MAR2021;
and will using it say %put &val_date. ;

(I gave this value as an example)
You will see something like this in the log

----

1 OPTIONS NONOTES NOSTIMER NOSOURCE NOSYNTAXCHECK;

72

73 %let val_date=16MAR2021;

74 %put &val_date.;

16MAR2021

---

As rightly pointed by @PaigeMiller you must assign a value to the macro variable other wise your program will  not work.

If you get a chance please read this paper. 
https://support.sas.com/resources/papers/proceedings17/1516-2017.pdf