SAS macro question "&sysday"

[jc3992]

Hello everyone,

I wonder may I ask the SAS macro question in terms of "%sysday" as I tested those options in SAS,

and except for the first one generating error, the other three seemed worked!

Thank you very much for reading and any advice.

%macro execute;
[ insert_statement_here_]
proc print data=sashelp.heart;
run;
%end;

%mend execute;
%execute

The question is:

Which statement completes the program so that the PROC PRINT step executes on Thursday?

A. 

if &sysday = Thursday then %do.

B.

%if &sysday =Thursday %then %do.

C.

%if "&sysday"= Thursday %then %do.

D.

%if &sysday = "Thursday" %then %do.

I do not really understand the differences among B,C, and D

Thank you!!

[Reeza]

Look at the quotation marks and & vs %, they're in different places. 

I don't see the answer I'd expect but I'm guessing that A and B don't match what's in the book. Can you please confirm A & B are posted correctly?

---

@jc3992 wrote:

Hello everyone,

I wonder may I ask the SAS macro question in terms of "%sysday" as I tested those options in SAS,

and except for the first one generating error, the other three seemed worked!

Thank you very much for reading and any advice.

%macro execute;
[ insert_statement_here_]
proc print data=sashelp.heart;
run;
%end;

%mend execute;
%execute

The question is:

Which statement completes the program so that the PROC PRINT step executes on Thursday?

A. 

if %sysday = Thursday then %do.

B.

%if %sysday =Thursday %then %do.

C.

%if "&sysday"= Thursday %then %do.

D.

%if &sysday = "Thursday" %then %do.

I do not really understand the differences among B,C, and D

Thank you!!

---

[ChrisNZ]

1. It's &sysday, not %sysday. 

2. I do not really understand the differences among B,C, and D

Then you are not looking carefully. Look at the quotes

3. the other three seemed worked!

I doubt C and D work.

Pay attention, these are not details.

[ballardw]

---

@jc3992 wrote:

Hello everyone,

I wonder may I ask the SAS macro question in terms of "%sysday" as I tested those options in SAS,

and except for the first one generating error, the other three seemed worked!

Thank you very much for reading and any advice.

%macro execute;
[ insert_statement_here_]
proc print data=sashelp.heart;
run;
%end;

%mend execute;
%execute

The question is:

Which statement completes the program so that the PROC PRINT step executes on Thursday?

A. 

if %sysday = Thursday then %do.

B.

%if %sysday =Thursday %then %do.

C.

%if "&sysday"= Thursday %then %do.

D.

%if &sysday = "Thursday" %then %do.

I do not really understand the differences among B,C, and D

Thank you!!

---

Actually since I would expect a semicolon after %do they are likely all wrong. Changing Thursday to Tuesday, since that is the day I tested this:

621  %macro execute;
622  %if %sysday =Tuesday %then %do.
623  proc print data=sashelp.heart;
624  run;
625  %end;
ERROR: There is no matching %DO statement for the %END. This statement will be ignored.
626
627  %mend execute;
NOTE: The macro EXECUTE completed compilation with errors.

Since none of the choices end in a semicolon all will generate the same no matching %do for the %end.

Spelling and punctuation do count in programming.

[jc3992]

Sorry I got a typo for the (A) and (B).

I have changed them to "&sysday".

I just do not really understand when we should add a quote?

Thank you!!

[Reeza]

Similar to basic math - both sides of the equal sign need to match. If you have quotes on one side you need them on the other.

[jc3992]

 1          OPTIONS NONOTES NOSTIMER NOSOURCE NOSYNTAXCHECK;
 72         
 73         options mprint;
 74         
 75         %macro execute;
 76         %if "&sysday" = "Thursday" %then %do;
 77         proc print data=sashelp.heart;
 78         run;
 79         %end;
 80         
 81         %mend execute;
 82         %execute;
 83         
 84         
 85         OPTIONS NONOTES NOSTIMER NOSOURCE NOSYNTAXCHECK;
 98         

So if I add quote to the &sysday, I have to add the quote to the other side, like the above?

The log showed no error either. 

[Reeza · Accepted solution]

Test it. My system is showing sys day as Monday, so I'm using Monday in my tests.

*check for trailing spaces, look where 000 ends up;
%put &sysday.000;

*check for quotes on both sides;
%if "&sysday."="Monday" %then %do;
    %put ERROR- Quotes on both sides;
%end;

*check for quotes on no sides;
%if &sysday=Monday %then %do;
    %put ERROR- No Quotes on either side;
%end;

Output:

 
 1          OPTIONS NONOTES NOSTIMER NOSOURCE NOSYNTAXCHECK;
 68         
 69         *check for trailing spaces, look where 000 ends up;
 70         %put &sysday.000;
 Monday000
 71         
 72         *check for quotes on both sides;
 73         %if "&sysday."="Monday" %then %do;
 74             %put ERROR- Quotes on both sides;
        Quotes on both sides
 75         %end;
 76         
 77         *check for quotes on no sides;
 78         %if &sysday=Monday %then %do;
 79             %put ERROR- No Quotes on either side;
        No Quotes on either side
 80         %end;
 81         
 82         OPTIONS NONOTES NOSTIMER NOSOURCE NOSYNTAXCHECK;
 93         

Note that in SAS 9.4 TS1M5+ you can run %IF/%THEN in open code and do not need to wrap it a macro. 

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@jc3992 wrote:

 1          OPTIONS NONOTES NOSTIMER NOSOURCE NOSYNTAXCHECK;
 72         
 73         options mprint;
 74         
 75         %macro execute;
 76         %if "&sysday" = "Thursday" %then %do;
 77         proc print data=sashelp.heart;
 78         run;
 79         %end;
 80         
 81         %mend execute;
 82         %execute;
 83         
 84         
 85         OPTIONS NONOTES NOSTIMER NOSOURCE NOSYNTAXCHECK;
 98         

So if I add quote to the &sysday, I have to add the quote to the other side, like the above?

The log showed no error either. 

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