Macro help with embedded do loop

[zkreflex]

This might be asking to much, but the last step asks me to use a format width in the put statement for arguments without a format.

So I need to produce the following output with the macro:

data_null_ ;

set books.list;

file "list4.data";

put @1 bookid 4. author 5-34 @35 isbn isbn18. @43 yearpub comma6.;

run;

with the a macro call of : %writeoutD (books.list,list4.data,bookid author isbn yearpub,4. 30 isbn18. comma6.);

I tried changing it to the following:

%local newput i newpointer;

%do i=1 %to 4;

%if &i=1

%then %let newpointer=1;

%else %let newpointer=%eval(&newpointer+%sysfunc(scan(&formatlist,%eval(&i-1),%str( $),ap)));

%let newput=&newput @&newpointer %sysfunc(scan(&variables,&i,%str( ))) %sysfunc(scan(&formatlist,&i,%str( )));

%if %sysfunc(findc("scan(&formatlist,&i)",'.'))=0

%then %let newput=&newput %sysfunc(scan(&variables,&i,%str( ))) %eval(&newpointer)-%eval(&newpointer+%sysfunc(scan(&formatlist,&i,%str( $),ap))+1);

%end;

but it was a no-go, not sure if its in the wrong spot or something...any ideas?

[data_null__]

This looks to be working.  I created more macro variables, too hard to work with all those nested functions for me, I'm too old.

%macro writeoutC (dataset,datafile,variables,formatlist);
   %local newput i newpointer f d w v wm1;
   %let wm1=0;
   %do i=1 %to 4;
      %let f=%scan(&formatlist,&i,%str( ));
      %let d=%sysevalF(%index(&f,.),boolean); /*Format or width*/
      %let w=%substr(_&f,%sysfunc(findc(_&f,$.,dkb)));
      %put NOTE: &=f &=w;
      %let w=%sysfunc(compress(&f,%str(.),DK));
      %let v=%scan(&variables,&i,%str( ));
      %put NOTE: &=f &=d &=w &=v &=wm1;

      %if &i eq 1
         %then %let newpointer=1;
         %else %let newpointer=%sysevalf(&newpointer+&wm1,INTEGER);
      %if &d
         %then %let newput=&newput @&newpointer &v:&f;
         %else %let newput=&newput &v &newpointer-%sysevalf(&w+&newpointer-1);
      %let wm1 = &w;
      %end;

   %put NOTE: %superq(newput);
   /*
   data _null_;
   set &dataset;
   file "&datafile";
   put @1 &newput;
   run;
   */
   %mend writeoutC;

/*Part 10*/

%writeoutC (books.list,list2.txt,bookid author isbn yearpub,4. 30 isbn18. comma6.);

NOTE: @1 bookid:4. author 5-34 @35 isbn:isbn18. @53 yearpub:comma6.

Message was edited by: data _null_

[zkreflex]

You're the best.  A few questions:

1) %sysevalF(not not %index(&f,.)) < what is this going to return? I understand the index function finds the character position of the . in each format argument, but the double not is confusing me..

2) You use the structure "_&f" < what does this do?

3) Is the %sysevalF function just an alternative to %eval?

Thanks for everything, enjoy the holiday!

[data_null__]

zkreflex wrote:

You're the best.  A few questions:

1) %sysevalF(not not %index(&f,.)) < what is this going to return? I understand the index function finds the character position of the . in each format argument, but the double not is confusing me..
Not not just make it a Boolean I should have use the Boolean option.  %let d=%sysevalF(%index(&f,.),boolean);

2) You use the structure "_&f" < what does this do?
We need to have something the FIND when the format has only numbers and dot.  For example 10. would return 0 and we don't want that.


3) Is the %sysevalF function just an alternative to %eval?
Sort of but it does floating point arithmetic and has options like INTEGER and BOOLEAN.

Thanks for everything, enjoy the holiday!

[Astounding]

Getting closer.  "scan" should become "%scan" in two places, and the hard-coded @1 is not needed.  It will be part of &NEWPUT.