DI Studio pre-code macro variables not assigning properly

[_Dan_]

Hello all,

I'm centralising recurring macro variables and functions into a .sas file which can be called via an %include statement.

To set the scene, I have a DI Studio job which first runs pre-code and then runs user-written code. The pre-code is a simple %include statement that "sets up" the job specifics. 

Centralising the recurring macro variables meant taking those variables out of the pre-code .sas file. Those same variables are now created inside of the centralised file, which is now referenced as another %include statement. That %include statement is nested - I am not calling two .sas files in the pre-code box in DI Studio, I am calling one .sas file, and that .sas file %includes the 'centralised' file.

The job now fails because a variable is no longer found. However, if I do %include the separate .sas files in the pre-code box in DI Studio, the job no longer fails.

What's happening:

DI Studio starts the job and calls the %include line in pre-code.

That .sas file runs. The first thing it does is run another %include line, and then attempts to go about doing what it always used to do.

It fails because, apparently, the macro variables created in the nested %include were never created.

But:

DI Studio runs the job and calls both .sas files in separate %include statements.

Each file has run separately.

Job runs fine.

Why is that?

[Kurt_Bremser · Accepted solution]

Look if there are macro definitions and calls involved that could cause variables to be put into a local symbole table.

Use %put statements that tell you exactly when a certain piece of code is entered and executed.

Use options source2; to have all code in the log.

[_Dan_]

Hi Kurt, thanks for your reply.

I have %global statements in the 'centralised' file in an attempt to ensure the variables carry across.

Again, this works when the %include files are called in series within the pre-code box, but not when the %include line is run from within the other %include line...

I will try your suggestions as well.

[_Dan_]

It turns out this was absolute human error in that the file being referenced was not the file I was looking at in EGuide. I have accepted your reply @Kurt_Bremser as your reponse will help anyone else having a legitimate issue with %local variables.

[Kurt_Bremser]

It happens to all of us 😉