Convert macro variable date to yymmddn8 to use in file path

[irisG]

Hi I have this peace of code which i want to use to look up a file created 6 days ago, e.g. 20180816. The file name should be G20180816.txt.

%let kurs_datum = %eval(%sysfunc(today())-6);

data format_date;

format kurs_datum yymmddn8.;

run;

%let infil="C:\G&kurs_datum..txt";

When i run this code i got this error message. It looks like that it is still using SAS's date format.

ERROR: Physical file does not exist, C:\G21412.txt.

How do I solve this?

[PeterClemmensen · Accepted solution]

handle date calculations in the data step and use CALL SYMPUT logic to create macro variables.

data _null_;
   dt=today()-6;
   path=cats("'C:\G", put(dt, yymmddn8.), ".txt'");
   call symputx('path', path);
run;

%put &path.;

[irisG]

Works like a charm! Many thanks!

[PeterClemmensen]

Anytime, glad to help 🙂