modify the length as well as the variable format of many variable using a doop loop statement.

[alepage]

Hello,

I have test my code and it seems to work. 

However when I disconnect from server and start over, the program has difficulties to evaluate macro variables.

(see log file)

Does someone could help me with that issue?

Can we carry out this task without using macro variable because the number of column could be as high as 1000 and the macro variable used ram memory;

data test;

array var{5} $;

run;

/*Would like to set random column length*/

%macro test;

%do i=1 %to 5;

data test;

call symput('name',cat("var",&i));

call symputx('val',max(round(ranuni(0)*50,1),10));

length &Name. $ &val.;

format &Name. $&val..;

set test;

%end;

run;

%mend test;

%test;

Thanks in advance for your help.

alepage

[Astounding]

Macro variables created with CALL SYMPUT are not available for use in the same DATA step that creates them.  Presumably you got your program to work by running the program twice (first time failing, but creating &NAME, second time working).

To get around that, get rid of the first CALL SYMPUT.  Instead, before the DATA step use:

%let name = var&i.;

[alepage · Accepted solution]

Here's my corrected code...it works.

%let MaxNbChar =50;

%let NbVar=450;

data test;

array var{&NbVar.} $ ;

run;

/*Would like to set random column length*/

%macro test;

%do i=1 %to &NbVar.;

%let name=var&i;

%let val=%sysfunc(max(%sysfunc(round(%sysfunc(ranuni(-1))*&MaxNbChar.,1)),10));

data test;

length &Name. $ &val.;

format &Name. $&val..;

set test;

%end;

Data test;

retain var1-var&NbVar;

set test;

run;

%mend test;

%test;