SAS skips %include statements

[Krysia24]

Hello! I have a program that begins by bringing in four separate SAS programs using %INCLUDE  {all separate import programs - bringing in data} and then is followed by some proc sql steps. So it looks like this:

%INCLUDE 'filepathprogram1' ;

%INCLUDE 'filepathprogram2' ;

%INCLUDE 'filepathprogram3' ;

%INCLUDE 'filepathprogram4' ;

proc sql;

create table {using the data from the above files....}

etc. 

______________________________________________

When I run the program as a whole, only the first two include statements run and then SAS skips filepath programs 3 and 4, and just moves onto the proc sql step {which won't work because it hasn't brought in all the data needed from filepaths 3 and 4}. However, if I run this line by line (so if I run include statement 1, then 2, then 3, then 4), then the rest of the program works fine. 

Is there a reason for this? Is there a limit to how many include statements I run at once? I thought they ran sequentially so it would not matter? Any more information to help me debug this would be helpful. 

[Kurt_Bremser · Accepted solution]

Look into your included files. I suspect program2 has a comment at the end without the closing */, or unbalanced quotes.

When you run them one by one, the "magic statement string" sent by your client (Studio or Enterprise Guide) after the code often manages to clean this up.

[Krysia24]

So far I'm not noticing anything obvious but I'll keep looking through those codes. I should note I made a mistake when I wrote the original post: SAS runs filepaths 1 and 3 and skips over 2 and 4. 

[Quentin]

This approach should work fine.

If you set options NOSOURCE2 and then run the whole program, what does the log show for the four %include statements? Can you post the log?

I like Kurt's guess that it's likely a problem in one of the %include files.

You could always try brute force:

1. Make four separate files file1.sas with just the code %put file1.sas running; and similar for file2.sas file3.sas file4.sas.
2. Make a driver program that %includes all four files, in sequence just like your real program.  Run the driver program and get it to work and print the four %PUT statements to the log.
3. Change the first %include from %including file1.sas to %include your real first file.  Re-run the driver and make sure all four %includes still work.
4. Then continue add your real files one at a time and testing after each, until it breaks.

That could help identify which file is problematic.

[Krysia24]

Thank you! It did end up being a sneaky comment that I didn't see at first.