Have I reached a date9. macro variable with this?

[Kiteulf]

%let dt = Today();
DATA _NULL_;

DCS3YR= put(Intnx('YEAR',&dt,-3,'S'),date9.);
call SYMPUTX('DCS3YR', DCS3YR);

run;

%put &DCS3YR;
%let DCS3YR_d9 =%sysfunc(inputn(&dcs3yr,date9.),date9.);

%put &DCS3YR_d9;

[Shmuel]

Did you mean:

%let DCS3YR_d9 =%sysfunc(put(inputn(&dcs3yr,date9.)),date9.);

Code was not tested.

[ballardw]

I would say it depends on what you mean by "reached a date. macro variable". Or what you expect for result. You don't say what you want or expect.

You have created text in the date9 appearance. With points for a complicated way of duplicating:

%let DCS3YR_d9= &DCS3YR ;

If you expect to manipulate "dates" using macro language it much better NOT to format the values.

[Kurt_Bremser]

Whenever you need a date value for calculations or comparisons, it is much better to not format the macro variable in any way. See this:

%let cutoff = %sysfunc(intnx(year,%sysfunc(today()),-3,s));

data want;
set have;
where date > &cutoff.;
run;

Formatted values in macro variables are only needed if you use the macro variable for display, e.g. in a TITLE statement.

[ballardw]

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@Kurt_Bremser wrote:

Formatted values in macro variables are only needed if you use the macro variable for display, e.g. in a TITLE statement.

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Or to match an external file name for input/output rules.

[Tom]

Macro variables are just strings.  You have made two macro variables with the same 9 characters.

If you have a macro variable with a value that the DATE informat understands then you can use as a date literal in your code by adding quotes and the letter d.  So here is another convoluted way to make a copy of your DCS3YR macro variable. 

%let copy2 = %sysfunc(putn("&dcs3yr"d,date9.));