Running code when time between certain window

[hhchenfx]

Hi,

My main macro will run every minute and inside that code, I want to run a small code just one time when time in between 15:00 - 15:01.

Can you please help me to do it?

I thought the one below will do the job but it doesn't.

Thanks,

HHC

%macro try;
  %if  15:00:00 < %sysfunc(time(),.0) < 15:02:00 %then %do;
    data a; set _NULL_;
	run;
  %end;
  %else %do;
  	data b; set _NULL_;
  %end;
%mend;

%try;

[ballardw]

Set OPTIONS MPRINT; run your macro and share the result from the log.

Note: "I thought the one below will do the job but it doesn't." is not very informative.

I suspect, if that is your code that you posted is correct that one of two things is happening: you are getting a ERROR because the statement: time8 run; doesn't make any sense

216  data a; set _NULL_;time8
                        -----
                        180
ERROR 180-322: Statement is not valid or it is used out of proper order.

217     run;

OR that the second bit is running because you are missing a RUN to end the data step. Until a data step boundary occurs in the second case the data step is "running" but not finished.

Macro language treats everything as character so when you compare

 15:00:00 < %sysfunc(time(),.0)

You are comparing a string of 15:00:00 to a different string and you need to address what the %sysfunc i actually returning (Hint: remove the format as length 0 formats don't work well for anything). If the time actually were 15:00:00 the result of %sysfunc(time()) would be 54000. When you place that into a .0 format you get an * as SAS can't fit that into that format at all. Maybe you though that TIME8 was on a different line???

Note that any data step or procedure inside a macro really really needs an explicit RUN; as the timing for when a following boundary may be very problematic.

---

@hhchenfx wrote:

Hi,

My main macro will run every minute and inside that code, I want to run a small code just one time when time in between 15:00 - 15:01.

Can you please help me to do it?

I thought the one below will do the job but it doesn't.

Thanks,

HHC

%macro try;
  %if  15:00:00 < %sysfunc(time(),.0) < 15:02:00 %then %do;
    data a; set _NULL_;time8
	run;
  %end;
  %else %do;
  	data b; set _NULL_;
  %end;
%mend;

%try;

---

[hhchenfx]

Hi,

That time8 is a typo.

I try to convert time to second but still the comparison fail, always return "data a" even current time is 68102.7880001068 , which is outside the range of 67800-68000

31280 %macro try;
31281 %if 67800 < %sysfunc(time())<68000
31282 %then %do;
31283 data a; set _NULL_;
31284 run;
31285 %end;
31286 %else %do;
31287 data b; set _NULL_;
31288 %end;
31289 %put %sysfunc(time());
31290 %mend;
31291
31292 %try;

NOTE: The data set WORK.A has 0 observations and 0 variables.
NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):
real time 0.00 seconds
cpu time 0.00 seconds


68102.7880001068

[hhchenfx]

So somehow I have to break that a<b<c into a<b and b<c to get the IF THEN works.

%macro try;
  %if 67800 < %sysfunc(time()) AND %sysfunc(time())<78000
 %then %do;
    data a; set _NULL_;
	run;
  %end;
  %else %do;
  	data b; set _NULL_;
  %end;
  %put %sysfunc(time());
%mend;

%try;

[s_lassen · Accepted solution]

I think this may work:

%macro try;
  %local now;
  %let now=%sysfunc(time(),time8.);
  %if "&now">"15:00:00" and "&now"<"15:02:00" %then %do;
 

Two points:

1. It is better to use the formatted value for comparison, as it makes the code a lot easier to read. And the character comparison shown should work.
2. a<b<c does not mean the same in SAS macro language as in the datastep. Instead it compares the boolean value (1 or 0) from the expression a<b with the value of c. You have to have two comparisons with AND here.

[hhchenfx]

You code and explanation is very much helpful.

Thanks,

HHC