How to include a number immediately after one macro and immediately before another macro

[mgrasmussen]

Dear SAS experts

I have made a simplified example of the problem I am facing.

Following the code in the bottom SAS reports:

SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable J resolves to 2008
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable L resolves to 3
bef20083
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable J resolves to 2008
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable L resolves to 6
bef20086
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable J resolves to 2008
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable L resolves to 9
bef20089
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable J resolves to 2008
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable L resolves to 12
bef200812
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable J resolves to 2009
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable L resolves to 3
bef20093
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable J resolves to 2009
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable L resolves to 6
bef20096
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable J resolves to 2009
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable L resolves to 9
bef20099
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable J resolves to 2009
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable L resolves to 12

I would like to include a 0 in front of 3, 6 and 9, but it is not included based on my code. Can anyone help me resolve this issue.

Thank you

Here is the code:

%macro test;

%do j=2008 %to 2009 %by 1;

          %do l=3 %to 12 %by 3;

                    %if l<12 %then %do;

                    %put bef&j.0&l;

                     %end;

                     %else %do;

                     %put bef&j.&l;

                      %end;

          %end;

%end;

%mend;

%test;

[FreelanceReinh · Accepted solution]

Hello @mgrasmussen,

Just insert the missing ampersand:

%if &l<12 %then %do;

[mgrasmussen]

Ah, of course. Thank you very much!

[FreelanceReinh]

You can also simplify the code by using SAS date values, the INTNX function and a date format:

%macro newtest;
%do i=0 %to 7;
  %put bef%sysfunc(intnx(qtr,'01JAN2008'd,&i,e),yymmn.);
%end;
%mend;
%newtest

[PaigeMiller]

---

@FreelanceReinh wrote:

You can also simplify the code by using SAS date values, the INTNX function and a date format:

%macro newtest;
%do i=0 %to 7;
  %put bef%sysfunc(intnx(qtr,'01JAN2008'd,&i,e),yymmn.);
%end;
%mend;
%newtest

---

@mgrasmussen this is an important point. You are always better off working with dates as actual valid numeric SAS dates as shown above by @FreelanceReinh, rather than working with them as text strings that have to be pulled apart, modified and combined somehow