SAS: Is it possible in SAS to assign values from one column to a macro variables from another column

[Rentum]

Hy guys,

I have lost my head already finding the solution to my problem.

I have two columns VarName and VarDate

I want to assign values of VarDate to macro variables in column VarName not naming them separately one by one.

Result should be 14 macro variables with assigned values.

For example:

if I would write %put &A_10; It should return me value 14/06/2020

if I would write %put &A_11; It should return me value 12/06/2020

if I would write %put &G_11; It should return me value 31/12/2021

data have;
input VarName $ VarDate :ddmmyy10.;
format VarDate ddmmyy10.;
datalines;
A_10 14/06/2020
A_11 12/06/2020
B_10 30/06/2020
B_11 30/06/2020
C_10 31/05/2020
C_11 29/05/2020
D_10 30/04/2020
D_11 30/04/2020
E_10 31/03/2020
E_11 31/03/2020
F_10 29/02/2020
F_11 28/02/2020
G_10 31/12/2021
G_11 31/12/2021
;
run;

[ed_sas_member · Accepted solution]

Hi @Rentum 

Please try this:

data _null_;
	set have;
	call symputx(VarName, put(VarDate,ddmmyy10.));
run;

NB: if you want to use those macrovariables in further calculations, you should better keep the unformatted valued (even if not 'human-readable'). However, if it is for display in titles for example, formatted values are fine.

Best,

[Rentum]

OH MY GOD! it was so easy, and I had tried so many difficult things.

Thank you a lot, @ed_sas_member you are my hero!

NB: In next step I have a macro that formats those dates for further use and there I have another question about how to put the list of variables when recalling the macro, but this is off topic of this question, so I will go to look for answer in a forum. Hope I can find it 🙂

[ed_sas_member]

Thank you so much @Rentum !