CALL SYMPUT vs CALL SYMPUTX

[GreggB]

I keep reading conflicting info.  Does CALL SYMPUTX automatically convert the value assigned to the macro variable to character (assuming it is numeric) or is the numeric format preserved?

[Astounding · Accepted solution]

Both SYMPUT and SYMPUTX convert the value to character before assigning to a macro variable.

SYMPUT gives you a message on the log about the conversion, while SYMPUTX does not.

SYMPUTX takes the additional step of removing any leading blanks that were caused by the conversion.

[Rick_SAS]

I assume you are asking about the DATA step? You can read about the differences between SYMPUT and SYMPUTX in the SAS doc.

According to the SAS documentation,  the DATA step will use BEST12. to convert the numeric value to a character value.

Not every SAS language does an automatic conversion, so SYMPUTX is more robust. See: http://blogs.sas.com/content/iml/2011/10/17/does-symput-work-in-iml.html

[GreggB]

yes, in the DATA step.

[hashman]

Rick,

Methinks the part of the SAS doc you've cited re: automatic type conversion is relevant only to the particular situation described there, i.e. "If you specify a variable in an expression, but the variable value does not match the type called for". This appears not to be the case with SYMPUTX (nor with CAT*), and so using BEST12. for the conversion doesn't apply to them. Consider:

data _null_ ;                          
  call symputx ("x", 123456789012345) ;
run ;                                  
%put &=x ;                             

which prints in the log: X=123456789012345.If BEST12. were used, we would see X=1.2345679E14 instead. The docs for SYMPUTX and CAT* give no explicit indication as to which format is used internally; yet I recall Rick L telling me in Denver it's 32. At any rate, it's obviously longer than 12.

Paul D.

[Tom]

Thanks. Another reason to favor CALL SYMPUTX() over the older CALL SYMPUT().

[hashman]

@Tom: Agreed. The auto-stripping of the leading/trailing blanks doesn't hurt, either.

[ScottBass]

SAS will never say SYMPUT is deprecated.  After all, that 40+ year old code still needs to work. 

Yet IMO SYMPUT is deprecated.  I can't think of any reason to use it over SYMPUTX.

[Tom]

---

@ScottBass wrote:

SAS will never say SYMPUT is deprecated.  After all, that 40+ year old code still needs to work. 

Yet IMO SYMPUT is deprecated.  I can't think of any reason to use it over SYMPUTX.

---

The main use case is when you want to store the leading/trailing spaces into the macro variable. 

data _null_;
   set metadata ;
   call symput('left',put(chapter,$20.));
   call symput('middle',put(title,$40.-c));
   call symput('right',put(catx(' ','Page',pageno),$20.-R));
run;
title "&left.&middle.&right";

[Tom]

CALL SYMPUT() and CALL SYMPUTX() will convert numbers to text using BEST12. format.

If you want to preserve the format attached to a number then either convert it to character yourself or use the VVALUE() (or VVALUEX()) function to get the formatted value.

data _null_;
  x=123456.890123456;
  format x dollar12.2 ;
  call symputx('v1',x);
  call symputx('v2',put(x,best32.));
  call symputx('v3',vvalue(x));
  dt=date();
  format dt yymmdd10.;
  call symputx('d1',dt);
  call symputx('d2',put(dt,date9.));
  call symputx('d3',vvalue(dt));
run;

26  %put &=v1 &=v2 &=v3 &=d1 &=d2 &=d3;
V1=123456.89012 V2=123456.890123456 V3=$123,456.89 D1=21020 D2=20JUL2017 D3=2017-07-20

[ChrisNZ]

@Tom  >CALL SYMPUT() and CALL SYMPUTX() will convert numbers to text using BEST12. format.

Only decimal numbers use format best12., integer precision seems better conserved by symputx() as @hashman  pointed out.

data _null_;
  INT=1234567890123456;
  format INT dollar22.0 ;
  call symput ('i1',INT);
  call symputx('i2',INT);
  call symputx('i3',put(INT,best12.));
  call symputx('i4',put(INT,best32.));
  call symputx('i5',vvalue(INT));
  DEC=123456.890123456;
  format DEC dollar12.2 ;
  call symput ('f1',DEC);
  call symputx('f2',DEC);
  call symputx('f3',put(DEC,best12.));
  call symputx('f4',put(DEC,best32.));
  call symputx('f5',vvalue(DEC));
  DTE=date();
  format DTE yymmdd10.;
  call symput ('d1',DTE);
  call symputx('d2',DTE);
  call symputx('d3',put(DTE,date9.));
  call symputx('d4',vvalue(DTE));
run;
%put INT Symput         &i1;
%put INT Symputx        &i2;
%put INT Symputx best12 &i3;
%put INT Symputx best32 &i4;
%put INT Symputx vvalue &i5;
%put DEC Symput         &f1;
%put DEC Symputx        &f2;
%put DEC Symputx best12 &f3;
%put DEC Symputx best32 &f4;
%put DEC Symputx vvalue &f5;
%put DTE Symput         &d1;
%put DTE Symputx        &d2;
%put DTE Symputx date9  &d3;
%put DTE Symputx vvalue &d4;

INT Symput         1.2345679E15
INT Symputx        1234567890123456
INT Symputx best12 1.2345679E15
INT Symputx best32 1234567890123456
INT Symputx vvalue $1,234,567,890,123,456

DEC Symput         123456.89012
DEC Symputx        123456.89012
DEC Symputx best12 123456.89012
DEC Symputx best32 123456.890123456
DEC Symputx vvalue $123,456.89

DTE Symput                21668
DTE Symputx        21668
DTE Symputx date9  29APR2019
DTE Symputx vvalue 2019-04-29

[Tom]

CALL SYMPUTX() uses BEST32. instead of BEST12.

[ChrisNZ]

@Tom  > CALL SYMPUTX() uses BEST32. instead of BEST12.

No it doesn't necessarily do that. That's the point I am making.

It uses best12. for (some?) decimal numbers.

data _null_;
  INT=1234567890123456;
  put INT= best32. INT= best12.;
  call symputx('int',INT);
run;
%put &=int ;

data _null_;
  DEC=123456789.123456;
  put DEC= best32. DEC= best12.;
  call symputx('dec',DEC);
run;
%put &=dec;

INT=1234567890123456 INT=1.2345679E15
INT=1234567890123456

DEC=123456789.123456 DEC=123456789.12
DEC=123456789.12

[Tom]

It does seem to only use the longer width for integers (or values that are close enough to an integer that the decimal part wouldn't print anyway).