IF prxmatch('/prx-pattern/', catx(' ', of charvar1-charvar100)) vs. WHERE prxmatch('/prx-pattern/',

[Curt]

Hi everyone,

I got an unexpected error when I tried to run:

WHERE prxmatch('/prx-pattern/', catx(' ', of charvar1-charvar100))

instead of

IF prxmatch('/prx-pattern/', catx(' ', of charvar1-charvar100)) 

where no error occurs.

If I write "charvar1, charvar2, charvar3 ..."  instead of  "OF charvar1-charvar100" the program is running without errors, but I wonder why this error occurs anyway and how can I sum up the variables like when using the IF statement, so that I don't need to enumerate all 100 variables.

Many thanks in advance,

Curt

[PaigeMiller]

https://documentation.sas.com/doc/en/pgmsascdc/9.4_3.5/lestmtsref/p1cxl8ifdt8u0gn12wqbji8o5fq1.htm#p...

https://documentation.sas.com/doc/en/lrcon/9.4/p04fy20d8il3nfn1ssywe4f25k27.htm

[Curt]

Thanks for your reply.

I know that it would be better to use the IF STATEMENT instead of the WHERE STATEMENT, however, I want to do  PROC FREQ where listed variables have one of the listed values. So it is not possible to use the IF STATEMENT instead. 

[FreelanceReinh · Accepted solution]

Hi @Curt,

You are not the first who encounters the fact that the OF operator is not available in WHERE statements and WHERE= dataset options (see, e.g., this 2021 thread). I think the documentation (like the second link provided by PaigeMiller) should mention this more clearly.

In your case you could create a DATA step view using the IF statement and then apply PROC FREQ to that view.

Example:

data sel / view=sel;
set sashelp.us_data;
if max(of change:)>20;
run;

proc freq data=sel;
tables region;
run;

[Curt]

Great suggestion!

Thanks to everyone!

[yabwon]

The "charvar1-charvar100" is one type of SAS variables lists (to be precise: Numbered Range Lists). 

Documentation:

SAS Variables Lists:

https://documentation.sas.com/doc/en/lrcon/9.4/p0wphcpsfgx6o7n1sjtqzizp1n39.htm

OF operator with SVL:

https://documentation.sas.com/doc/en/lrcon/9.4/n1t04bwpt1jkadn1a5mk35we2yif.htm

SAS variables list are PDV construct, i.e. they are available _only_ in/for the PDV vector.

And as the second link provided by @PaigeMiller (https://documentation.sas.com/doc/en/lrcon/9.4/p04fy20d8il3nfn1ssywe4f25k27.htm) says:

"A WHERE expression tests the condition before an observation is read into the PDV."

So, since WHERE works "before" PDV - there is no chance to use PDV's constructs...

Bart