Funny quirk of open code %IF

[Kurt_Bremser]

While %IF in open code also allows to use %ELSE, it does not work in all circumstances:

%let control=Y;

data
%if &control = X
%then %do;
  work.check
%end;
%else %do;
  work.test
%end;
;
x = 1;
run;

data
%if &control = X
%then %do;
  work.check
%end;
%if &control ne X
%then %do;
  work.test
%end;
;
x = 1;
run;

The first data step will fail with a component object failure (but not a macro ERROR message!), while the second works.

Tested on SAS On Demand, and also 9.4TS1M7 on AIX

[AMSAS]

Problem Note 65310: An error message occurs when you use %IF-%THEN/%ELSE and %DO macro statements in...

Here's your code "fixed" as suggested in the Problem Note

131  %let control=Y;
132  options mprint symbolgen mlogic ;
133
134  %if &control = X
SYMBOLGEN:  Macro variable CONTROL resolves to Y
135  %then %do;
136    data work.check ;
137  %end;
138  %else %do;
139    data work.test ;
140  %end;
141  ;
142  x = 1;
143  run;

NOTE: The data set WORK.TEST has 1 observations and 1 variables.
NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):
      real time           0.02 seconds
      cpu time            0.01 seconds

[ChrisNZ]

So open code %if can only be used to add statement, or at least statement endings?

This works for me on M7 Win:

%let control=Y;
options mprint symbolgen mlogic ;
data A
      %if &control = X %then %do;
     B ;
      %end;
      %else %do;
     C ;
      %end;
  X = 1;
run;
     
data A
       %if &control = X %then %do;
     B 
       %end;
       %else %do;
     C 
       %end;
     D  ;
  X = 1;
run;

data A
       %if &control = X %then %do;
     B 
       %end;
       %else %do;
     C 
       %end;
     ;
  X = 1;
run;

Spoiler

25 %let control=Y;
26 options mprint symbolgen mlogic ;
27 data A
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable CONTROL resolves to Y
28 %if &control = X %then %do;
29 B ;
30 %end;
31 %else %do;
32 C ;
33 %end;
34 X = 1;
35 run;

NOTE: Compression was disabled for data set WORK.A because compression overhead would increase the size of the data set.
NOTE: Compression was disabled for data set WORK.C because compression overhead would increase the size of the data set.
NOTE: The data set WORK.A has 1 observations and 1 variables.
NOTE: The data set WORK.C has 1 observations and 1 variables.
NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):
real time 0.01 seconds
cpu time 0.01 seconds

36
37 data A
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable CONTROL resolves to Y
38 %if &control = X %then %do;
39 B
40 %end;
41 %else %do;
42 C
43 %end;
44 D ;
2 The SAS System 13:45 Thursday, November 25, 2021

45 X = 1;
46 run;

NOTE: Compression was disabled for data set WORK.A because compression overhead would increase the size of the data set.
NOTE: Compression was disabled for data set WORK.C because compression overhead would increase the size of the data set.
NOTE: Compression was disabled for data set WORK.D because compression overhead would increase the size of the data set.
NOTE: The data set WORK.A has 1 observations and 1 variables.
NOTE: The data set WORK.C has 1 observations and 1 variables.
NOTE: The data set WORK.D has 1 observations and 1 variables.
NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):
real time 0.02 seconds
cpu time 0.04 seconds

47
48 data A
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable CONTROL resolves to Y
49 %if &control = X %then %do;
50 B
51 %end;
52 %else %do;
53 C
54 %end;
55 ;
56 X = 1;
57 run;

NOTE: Compression was disabled for data set WORK.A because compression overhead would increase the size of the data set.
NOTE: Compression was disabled for data set WORK.C because compression overhead would increase the size of the data set.
NOTE: The data set WORK.A has 1 observations and 1 variables.
NOTE: The data set WORK.C has 1 observations and 1 variables.
NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):
real time 0.01 seconds
cpu time 0.01 seconds

[Kurt_Bremser]

Well, it's a workaround, but clearly not a solution. This is a bug and needs fixing.

The fact that this was reported with M5 and is not yet fixed is somewhat disturbing. After all, we always tend to brag about SAS' software quality to beginners and outsiders.

[Ksharp]

Kurt,

I got no problem. Maybe it is sas version problem. Mine is stand-alone PC version SAS 9.4M7  .

NOTE: SAS initialization used:
      real time           1.76 seconds
      cpu time            1.35 seconds

1    %let control=Y;
2
3    data
4    %if &control = X
5    %then %do;
6      work.check
7    %end;
8    %else %do;
9      work.test
10   %end;
11   ;
12   x = 1;
13   run;

NOTE: The data set WORK.TEST has 1 observations and 1 variables.
NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):
      real time           0.05 seconds
      cpu time            0.01 seconds


14
15   data
16   %if &control = X
17   %then %do;
18     work.check
19   %end;
20   %if &control ne X
21   %then %do;
22     work.test
23   %end;
24   ;
25   x = 1;
26   run;

NOTE: The data set WORK.TEST has 1 observations and 1 variables.
NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):
      real time           0.00 seconds
      cpu time            0.01 seconds