Automating this code using DO LOOP

[rosegarden81]

Hello all,

Not sure why but I am unable to automate this portion:

%macro title();

%let allCodes = %sysfunc(CATX(",", &Codes1, &Codes2, &Codes3, &Codes4 ));

%put &allCodes;

%mend;

%title();

I am doing this below for automating the above %let allCodes statement - but seeing errors:

%macro attempt1();

%do i = 1 %TO 3;

%let allCodes = %sysfunc(CATX(",", &Codes&i.

%end;

&Codes4 ));

%put &allCodes;

%mend;

attempt1();

Just trying to automate the macro title() using DO loop but it gives errors...any ideas would be highly appreciated.

Regards,

Tina

[VDD]

don't you need to array codes1 through codes3 before you us the do I = 1 to 3?

[Cynthia_sas]

Hi:

  There is no need to use %SYSFUNC or the CATX function. Consider this:

%let string1 = I like;
%let string2 = Kermit;
%let string3 = the;
%let string4 = Frog;
%let bigstring = &string1 &string2 &string3 &string4;

%put &=string1 &=string2 &=string3 &=string4;
%put &=bigstring;

and if I wanted to make BIGSTRING2 with a different character between the values, I could do this:

%let bigstring2 = &string1~&string2#&string3^&string4;

%put &=bigstring2;

CATX and SYSFUNC are not needed in what you describe.

Cynthia

[rosegarden81]

Hi Cynthia,

Thing is this:

I have a couple of codes like office visit codes, well child visit codes. 

So currently it is two sets of codes:

%let Codes1 = "a" "b";   /* office visit codes */

%let Codes2 = "c" "d" "e";   /* well child visit codes */

%let allCodes = &Codes1. &Codes2.;   /* this macro var allCodes will contain all codes that were separately defined above */

%put &allCodes.; 

/*  "a" "b" "c" "d" "e" */

Eventually, a user will add other codes like dental codes, back pain codes, custom codes like this:

%let Codes3 = "aa" "bb" "cc";  /* dental */

%let Codes4 = "xx" "yy" "zz";  /* Back pain codes */

%let Codes5 = "aaa" "bbb" "ccc"  /* arthritis codes */

And I wanted the &allCodes macro variable to now contain all of these additional codes as well without me having to update the code like in this below:

%let  allCodes = &Codes1. &Codes2. &Codes3. &Codes4. &Codes5.;   /* Do not want to append codes like this to update &allCodes because there could be 50 of such code types a user can add*/

This is why I was trying to use the macro above..

I need to update the &allCodes for future proc freq etc purposes.

[Cynthia_sas · Accepted solution]

When you run this

%let string1 = I like;
%let string2 = Kermit;
%let string3 = the;
%let string4 = Frog;

%put &=string1 &=string2 &=string3 &=string4;


%macro attempt ;
%global allcodes allcodes2;
%let allCodes =;
%do i = 1 %TO 4;

%let allCodes = &allCodes &&string&i;

%if &i = 1 %then %let allcodes2 = (&&string&i;
%else %let allcodes2 = &allcodes2 &&string&i;

%end;
%let allcodes2 = &allcodes2)%str(;);


%put &=allCodes &=allcodes2;

%mend attempt;

%attempt

Then &allcodes should have all 4 strings and allcodes2 should have parens and a semi-colon.

Cynthia

[rosegarden81]

Thank you so much for this, I highly appreciate it.