My SAS variable is not resolving before moving to next variable call when I am using two iterators

[KatWinSASland]

I want to create a table name from macro variables I iterate through. I am running into a problem when the first macro call &&thing&i. does not resolve and SAS is trying to resolve the combined call. The first call &&thing&j. is resolving to &thing1. How do I have thing1 get resolved to: auto? 

data things;
input thing $6.;
auto
rv
boat
;

proc SQL;
select distinct thing 
into :thing1-
from things;
quit;

macro thingy();
%do i %to %6;
%do j %to &sqlobs;
data temp;
set have.&&thing&j._&i.mo;
run;
%end;
%end;
%mend thingy;
%thingy()

[PaigeMiller · Accepted solution]

set have.&&thing&j._&i.mo;

After &j, try using two dots. (If that doesn't work, try three dots)

[Tom]

I want to create a table name from macro variables I iterate through.

Why?  What is the larger problem you are trying to solve and how does being able to generate dataset name in this way help?

There are a lot of mistakes in that SAS code.  First let's clean up the setup part.

data things;
  input thing $6.;
cards;
auto
rv
boat
;

proc sql noprint;
select distinct thing 
  into :thing1-
  from things
;
%let nthings=&sqlobs;
quit;

So now you have 3 macro variables named THING1, THING2 and THING3 and a fourth macro variable named NTHINGS which you could perhaps use to do something (what??).

Now let's cleanup your attempt to loop and build a token from the indexes and those macro variables.

Let's just write the generated string to the LOG so we can see what we get.

%macro thingy;
%do i=1 %to 2;
  %do j=1 %to &nthings;
    %put &=i &=J prefix_&&thing&j.._&i._suffix ;
  %end;
%end;
%mend thingy;
%thingy;

Results:

262  %macro thingy;
263  %do i=1 %to 2;
264    %do j=1 %to &nthings;
265      %put &=i &=j prefix_&&thing&j.._&i._suffix ;
266    %end;
267  %end;
268  %mend thingy;
269  %thingy;
I=1 J=1 prefix_auto_1_suffix
I=1 J=2 prefix_boat_1_suffix
I=1 J=3 prefix_rv_1_suffix
I=2 J=1 prefix_auto_2_suffix
I=2 J=2 prefix_boat_2_suffix
I=2 J=3 prefix_rv_2_suffix

But why couldn't you just leave the value of THING in the actual variable?  What did you gain by moving them into macro variables?  Perhaps just passing in one value at a time?

%macro thingy(thing);
%do i=1 %to 2;
    %put &=i prefix_&thing._&i._suffix ;
%end;
%mend thingy;

data _null_;
  set things;
  call execute(cats('%nrstr(%thingy)(',thing,')'));
run;

Result

1   + %thingy(auto)
I=1 prefix_auto_1_suffix
I=2 prefix_auto_2_suffix
2   + %thingy(rv)
I=1 prefix_rv_1_suffix
I=2 prefix_rv_2_suffix
3   + %thingy(boat)
I=1 prefix_boat_1_suffix
I=2 prefix_boat_2_suffix

[PaigeMiller]

@Tom said:

So now you have 3 macro variables named THING1, THING2 and THING3 and a fourth macro variable named NTHINGS which you could perhaps use to do something (what??).

I'm sure this was in a Dr. Seuss book I once read. I didn't know he was writing about SAS macros!

But good question!