How to handle missing macro variables with Coalescec function

[gamotte]

Yes,

You retrieve macrovariables values in a SAS dataset columns but you still use the macrovariables

in your coalesce call instead of the dataset variables.

[gamotte]

Hello,

You can declare the macrovariable to ensure that it exists in all contexts.

If it has already be defined, the declaration will not change its value and if

not it will be defined as a space character, which is SAS way to define missing

character variables.

How you declare a macrovariable without setting its value depends on the context.

"%global" gives the macrovariable a global scope and "%local", in a macro, limits

the sccope to the macro body. Redeclaring as global a macrovariable which has already

been defined in the local context results in an error.

1    %let _LEGAL_CD=RMN;
2
3    %global _SOURCE_CD;
4
5    data l;
6    lel=compress(COALESCEC("&_SOURCE_CD.","&_LEGAL_CD."));
7    call symput('lel',lel);
8    run;

NOTE: The data set WORK.L has 1 observations and 1 variables.
NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):
      real time           4.09 seconds
      cpu time            0.00 seconds


9
10   %put &=lel.;
LEL=RMN