I am getting this error on the following code. Even though numDim is clearly a numeric value. When I replace "%do i = 1 %to numDim" with "%do i = 1 %to 5" it works. Any ideas on why this error is occuring and how to fix it?
ERROR: A character operand was found in the %EVAL function or %IF condition
where a numeric operand is required. The condition was: numDim
ERROR: The %TO value of the %DO I loop is invalid.
ERROR: The macro CREATEDIMS will stop executing.
data test;
input idno 1-2 l_name $ 5-9 diag $ 12-30;
cards;
10 Smith 123:199:256:277:600
;
run;
data test_1;
length numDim 8.;
set test;
numDim=(countc(diag, ':')+1);
run;
%macro createDims();
data test_2;
set test_1;
%do i = 1 %to numDim;
Variable_a&i = scan(diag, &i, ':');
diag_code=Variable_a&i.;
drop diag Variable_a&i;
output;
%end;
run;
%mend createDims;
%createDims()
Now I understand.
You do not need macro languaje to solve the problem:
data test;
input idno 1-2 l_name $ 5-9 diag $ 12-30;
cards;
10 Smith 123:199:256:277:600
11 Jones 222:111
12 Jeddy 555:758:987:111
;
run;
data test3;
length numDim 8.;
set test;
numDim=(countc(diag, ':')+1);
do i = 1 to numDim;
diag_code=scan(diag, i, ':');
output;
end;
drop diag i;
run;
Thanks RiskAster for your explanation.
CTorres
Try this:
data test;
input idno 1-2 l_name $ 5-9 diag $ 12-30;
cards;
10 Smith 123:199:256:277:600
;
run;
data test_1;
length numDim 8.;
set test;
numDim=(countc(diag, ':')+1);
call symputx('numDim',numDim);
run;
%macro createDims();
data test_2;
set test_1;
%do i = 1 %to &numDim;
Variable_a&i = scan(diag, &i, ':');
diag_code=Variable_a&i.;
drop diag Variable_a&i;
output;
%end;
run;
%mend createDims;
%createDims()
CTorres
Yes, that works with 1 record. Sorry, I should have included more records. I added the numDim to each line of the the dataset because I want to read it and use it for each line of the dataset
10 Smith 123:199:256:277:600
11 Jones 222:111
12 Jeddy 555:758:987:111
data test_1;
length numDim 8.;
set test;
numDim=(countc(diag, ':')+1);
run;
should produce:
numDim idno l_name diag
5 10 Smith 123:199:256:277:600
2 10 Jones 222:111
4 10 Leddy 555:758:987:111
Now I understand.
You do not need macro languaje to solve the problem:
data test;
input idno 1-2 l_name $ 5-9 diag $ 12-30;
cards;
10 Smith 123:199:256:277:600
11 Jones 222:111
12 Jeddy 555:758:987:111
;
run;
data test3;
length numDim 8.;
set test;
numDim=(countc(diag, ':')+1);
do i = 1 to numDim;
diag_code=scan(diag, i, ':');
output;
end;
drop diag i;
run;
Thanks RiskAster for your explanation.
CTorres
I’ll try to add an explanation in case readers are wondering what’s going on in the solution suggested by CTorres. A %DO loop can be used to generate a block of SAS code repeatedly with different index values. However, since %DO is a macro statement, any variables in it would have to be macro variables. There are various ways to create macro variables, and the CALL SYMPUTX routine is a good approach if you want to create a macro variable from a a value in a data step. Then, once the macro variable exists, a macro variable reference has to begin with an ampersand — that’s what marks it as a macro variable. As originally presented, the %DO statement is looking at the text “numDim” in the %DO statement, rather than a variable. The %DO statement uses the %EVAL function to get the numeric value of its %TO argument, and this is why the error message refers to the %EVAL function.
I agree with CTorres. You don#t even need the numDim variable:
data test;
input idno 1-2 l_name $ 5-9 diag $ 12-30;
cards;
10 Smith 123:199:256:277:600
;
run;
Data Test_2 ;
Set Test;
Do i=1 To CountC(Diag,':')+1 By 1;
Diag_Code=Scan(Diag,i,':');
Output;
End;
Run;
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