General Block Comments Question (Ctrl+ /)

[pchappus]

I wrote code that I ran one time to get a database in SAS. Instead of delete this code, I tried block commenting it out. It appears that when I do this, it also comments out the following line of code after the block comments unless I add a semicolon at the end of the block comment. 

Why does this happen?

This is the code that is making my next line be a comment without the semicolon in the last line.

/*/*/*/*/*%LET PriorMo = %SYSFUNC(PUTN(%EVAL(&MO -1),z2.));*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/*%PUT &=PriorMo;*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/*%LET YrPriorMo = &Yr&PriorMo;*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/*%PUT &=YrPriorMo;*/*/*/*/*/

/*/*/*/*/*%SYMDEL PriorMo;*/*/*/*/*/

/*/*/*/*/*%LET strDbFilePathPrior = %SYSFUNC(CATX(\*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/* ,\\blcfs04\#BLCFS04\HLTHFIN\ONGOING\LTC\Valuation*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/* ,&Yr*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/* ,&YrPriorMo*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/* ,RGA*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/* ,People History.accdb)*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/* );*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/*%PUT &=strDbFilePathPrior;*/*/*/*/*/

/*/*/*/*/*%MsOfficeImport(&strDbFilePathPrior*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/* ,Cum Info*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/* ,SaDAPHlt.VMF_Cumulative_Info*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/* ,strFileType = ACCESS*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/* ,strSasGrpNm=ActProdMgmtHealth*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/* );*/*/*/*/*/

/*/*/*/*/*%SYMDEL strDbFilePathPrior YrPriorMo;*/*/*/*/*/;

[ballardw · Accepted solution]

HINT: Do not use multiple /*/*/*     */*/*/ to comment code. The first /* starts a sequence but nested * and /* start confusing the processor.

Depending on exact code likely one or more of the /* get treated as the start of a * ; type comment. So the first statement following is treated as part of one of those comments, or require the ending ; as you mention.

Generally for blocks I use

/*

<all the code >

*/

to avoid that specific issue.

[Tom]

How and Why did you create that wonderful display of gibberish?  From the subject line I suspect that you have mis-used some editor feature.  Remember that editors don't really know what they are editing.  They are just following rules someone gave them.

Inserting a bunch of random /* and */ characters into your program is not a good idea. 

Note that /* ... */ comments (block comments) do NOT nest.  So this line 

/*/*/*/*/*%LET PriorMo = %SYSFUNC(PUTN(%EVAL(&MO -1),z2.));*/*/*/*/*/

Is this block comment

/*/*/*/*/*%LET PriorMo = %SYSFUNC(PUTN(%EVAL(&MO -1),z2.));*/

Followed by the beginning of a statement comment ( * .... ; )

*/*/*/*/

So now SAS is on the hunt for a semi-colon to end that comment that you started on the first line.