Manohar Modem, Cytel Inc; Bhavana Bommisetty, Vita Data Sciences
In clinical domain, we usually create many safety and efficacy tables with various statistics. While creating these tables, we introduce SAS dataset with statistics into PROC REPORT to create listing or rtf output. Using PROC REPORT-BREAK-PAGE, we can make sure that each parameter statistics starts in a new page in the output. If we want to make sure that a group of statistics does not break abruptly between pages, we may need to use conditional statements to assign page numbers. Whenever there is an update in mock shell or data, the number of rows in the output may increase or decrease, which in turn requires an update in conditional statements to prevent abrupt, breaks in the output. This led to an effort to create a macro, which prevents abrupt page breaks and provides meaningful page numbers. This paper describes how the page numbers were dynamically assigned using SAS macro.
To create a table, we generate descriptive or inferential statistics using various SAS procedures and present them as per mock shell. We introduce the final dataset, which contains all the statistics in the required format into PROC REPORT procedure to create rtf output. In most cases, we may have to create a custom variable using IF-THEN-ELSE conditional statements and introduce this in PROC REPORT-BREAK-PAGE to avoid abrupt breaks in the output.
Figure 1 and Figure 2 shows an abrupt break in a demographics table output where ‘Height’ statistics are shown in two different pages, as page 1 cannot accommodate any more rows. Figure 3 and Figure 4 shows that ‘Height' statistics are pushed to page 2. We can do this by creating variable using IF-THEN-ELSE conditional statements and using this variable in PROC REPORT.
In clinical domain, there are different kinds of table like demographic, lab shift, change from baseline etc., which have different shell structure. So, for each of these tables, you may need to create a custom variable using IF-THEN-ELSE conditional statements to avoid abrupt page breaks. This led to an effort to create %pageno macro that can be used across various tables.
The functionality of this macro is to create a numeric variable, which prevents abrupt page breaks in the output.
This macro contains seven keyword macro parameters.
&mxlnpg, &grpvars and &statvarc are the three macro parameters that are mandatory for each call. We can use other parameters as and when required.
Usually in a table rtf output, each page consists of three parts - Title, Footnotes and Body. The number of lines occupied by title and footnotes varies from one table to another. As a result, the number of lines available in the body is different for various kind of tables.
Let us see few scenarios to understand the functionality of %pageno macro.
Figure 5. Mock shell
Figure 5 is an example of a table mock shell. All the following scenarios were created based on this shell.
Figure 6. Scenario 1
%pageno(grpvars= avisit, statvarc= %str(text,55), mxlnpg=15);
Explanation:
Figure 7. Proc report break page
Figure 8. Scenario 2
%pageno(grpvars= avisit, statvarc=%str(text, 25), mxlnpg=14);
Figure 10. Scenario 3
%pageno(grpvars= avisit, statvarc= %str(text,30), mxlnpg=14, colsdlm=%str(col1 col2, |));
Figure 11. Scenario 4
%pageno(grpvars= avisit, statvarc= %str(text,30), mxlnpg=17, colsdlm=%str(text col1 col2, |));
Explanation:
Figure 12. Scenario 5
Explanation:
By using this macro, we do not need to worry about abrupt breaks in the output either in the first-run or for every data update. This could be quite useful when the table output is too long or when table mock shell is complex with different number of rows in each section.
Jensen, ErikLund. "How to split a variable into 200 Character without chopping a word dynamically." Accessed April 15, 2021. https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Programming/How-to-split-a-variable-into-200-Character-without-ch...
Your comments and questions are valued and encouraged. Contact the author at:
Manohar Modem
Sr. Statistical Programmer
Cytel Inc
Waltham, MA
Email: manohar.modem@gmail.com
Bhavana Bommisetty
Statistical Programmer
Vita Data Sciences
Waltham, MA
Email: bhavana.bommisetty@gmail.com
SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. ® indicates USA registration.
Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies.
%macro pageno (indata=_last_, outdata=pg_final, mxlnpg= , grpvars= , debug=0, statvarc= , colsdlm= );
%local grpvars_1 grpvars_2 grpvars_cs statvarc2 ;
%let grpvars_1 = %scan(&grpvars, -1, " ");
%put grpvars_1 = **&grpvars_1**;
%let grpvars_2 = %scan(&grpvars, -2, " ");
%put grpvars_2 = **&grpvars_2**;
%if %bquote(&grpvars_2) = %str( ) %then %do;
%let grpvars_2= __cat;
%put grpvars_2 = **&grpvars_2**;
%end;
%let grpvars_cs = %qsysfunc(translate(%qsysfunc(compbl(%qsysfunc(strip(&grpvars)))), ",", " "));
%put grpvars_cs = **&grpvars_cs**;
%let statvarc2 = %qsysfunc(strip(&statvarc));
%put statvarc2 = **&statvarc2**;
%if %bquote(&colsdlm) ^= %str( ) %then %do;
%let _dlmvars= %scan(&colsdlm, 1, ",");
%let _dlmval= %left(%trim(%scan(&colsdlm, 2, ",")));
%end;
/*check to see if the input dataset already has "PG_BREAK" variable. If exists, then it is deleted*/
proc sql noprint;
create table __in as
select *
from &indata
;
select count(*) into :varchk
from sashelp.vcolumn
where upcase(libname) = 'WORK' and upcase(memname) = "__IN" and upcase(name) = "PG_BREAK";
quit;
data __dset00 ;
set __in %if &varchk ^=0 %then %do;
%str((drop = pg_break _rows ))
%end;;
__lbln=_n_;
run;
/* Find number of rows required in listing or rtf output for text in each line of %nrbuqote(&statvarc) variable*/
data __dset01;
set __dset00;
length nystr $1000;
str0= %scan(&statvarc2, 1, ",");
_width= %scan(&statvarc2, 2, ",");
_indent= lengthn(trim(str0))-lengthn(strip(str0));
_width2=_width-_indent;
if str0> ' ' then do;
%if &colsdlm ^= %then %do;
str= translate(str0, ' ', "%qsysfunc(compress(&_dlmval.))");
%end;
%else %do;
str=str0;
%end;
str = strip(compbl(str));
do i = 1 to countw(str,' ');
word = scan(str,i,' ');
if length(nystr) + length(word) + 1 > _width2 then do;
output;
nystr = word;
end;
else nystr = catx(' ',nystr,scan(str,i,' '));
end;
if nystr ne '' then output;
end;
if str0= ' ' then output;
run;
proc sort;
by __lbln;
run;
data __dset02;
set __dset01;
by __lbln;
if first.__lbln then _rows0=1;
else _rows0+1;
if last.__lbln;
keep __lbln _rows0;
run;
/*Find the maximum number of rows required for text in each line of 'statvarc' macro variable based on both text length and delimeters*/
data __dset03;
merge __dset00 (in=_orig) __dset02(in=_der);
by __lbln;
if _orig and ^_der then _rows0=1;
__cat=1;
%if %bquote(&colsdlm) ^= %str( ) %then %do;
array _colxx &_dlmvars ;
array _colyy
%do i = 1 %to %sysfunc(countw(&_dlmvars));
_arcol&i. %end;
;
do over _colxx;
_colyy= countc(_colxx, "&_dlmval");
end;
_dlmrows=max(of _colyy[*]);
/*if 'statvarc' macro variable is included in 'colsdlm' macro variable then only number of delimiters in 'statavarc' variable are considered
in assiging '_rows' for each row text value. Else we take maximum of delimters based rows to text length rows*/
if _dlmrows=0 then _dlmrows=1; /*if '0' delimiters, then value 1 row*/
else if _dlmrows>=1 then _dlmrows=_dlmrows+1; /*if 1 delimiter exist, the value takes 2 rows*/
%if %qsysfunc(index(&colsdlm, %scan(&statvarc2, 1, ","))) %then %str(_rows= _dlmrows;);
%else %str(_rows= max(_rows0, _dlmrows););
drop _ar: _dlmrows;
%put **&_dlmval**;
%end;
%else %do;
_rows= _rows0;
%end;
drop _rows0;
run;
data __dset0;
set __dset03;
do __splitn= _rows to 1 by -1;
output;
end;
run;
/*derive 'PG_BREAK' variable*/
data __dset1;
set __dset0;
by __cat &grpvars __lbln notsorted;
if first.&grpvars_1 then pgvar_rec = 1;
else pgvar_rec+1;
totaln= _n_;
if first.&grpvars_2 then __grpvars2_0=1;
__grpvars2 +__grpvars2_0;
if first.&grpvars_1 then __grpvars1_0=1;
__grpvars1 +__grpvars1_0;
/*If a section has more rows than number of lines assigned in 'mxlnpg' macro variable then give a warning*/
if pgvar_rec > &mxlnpg then do;
put "WARNING: One or more categories has more records than %nrstr(&mxlnpg) at: " &grpvars_1= %scan(&statvarc2, 1, ",")= ;
put "WARNING: If possible, increase %nrstr(&mxlnpg) value";
end;
run;
data __dset2;
set __dset1;
by __cat &grpvars __lbln notsorted;
retain remain_rec pg0 ;
if first.&grpvars_2 then do;
remain_rec=.;
pg0=.;
end;
if last.&grpvars_1 then do;
if remain_rec=. then do;
if pgvar_rec <= &mxlnpg then remain_rec = &mxlnpg - pgvar_rec;
pg0 = 1;
end;
else if remain_rec ^=. then do;
if remain_rec >= pgvar_rec then do;
remain_rec= remain_rec - pgvar_rec ;
pg0 +0;
end;
else if remain_rec < pgvar_rec then do;
remain_rec= &mxlnpg - pgvar_rec ;
pg0 +1;
end;
end;
end;
run;
proc sql;
create table __dset3 as
select *, max(pg0) as pg01
from __dset2
group by &grpvars_cs
order by totaln
;
quit;
data __dset4;
set __dset3;
by __cat &grpvars __lbln notsorted ;
retain PG_BREAK;
dif1 = dif(pg01);
if dif1>. then dif1=abs(dif1);
if first.&grpvars_2 and dif1 = 0 then dif1=1;
if __grpvars2=1 then PG_BREAK= pg01;
else if dif1>0 then PG_BREAK+1;
run;
data &outdata;
set __dset4;
where __splitn=1;
drop totaln remain_rec pg0 pg01 pgvar_rec __: dif1;
run;
/*delete intermediate datasets*/
%if &debug ^= 1 %then %do ;
proc datasets nolist;
delete __: ;
run;
%end;
%mend;
Sample call:
%pageno (grpvars= avisit, statvarc= %str(text,30), mxlnpg=18, colsdlm=%str(text col1 col2, |));
Build your skills. Make connections. Enjoy creative freedom. Maybe change the world. Registration is now open through August 30th. Visit the SAS Hackathon homepage.
Register today!Select SAS Training centers are offering in-person courses. View upcoming courses for: