Simplify Macro - Dates?

[ybz12003]

Good morning,

I have the following long codes, I am wondering if I could use a macro to simply this procedure.  Thanks in advance.

%let startdate_2016=01JUL2016; 
%let enddate_2016=30JUN2017; 
%let startdate_2015=01JUL2015;
%let enddate_2015=30JUN2016;
%let startdate_2014=01JUL2014;
%let enddate_2014=30JUN2015;
%let startdate_2013=01JUL2013;
%let enddate_2013=30JUN2014;
%let startdate_2012=01JUL2012;
%let enddate_2012=30JUN2013;
%let startdate_2011=01JUL2011; 
%let enddate_2011=30JUN2012; 
%let startdate_2010=01JUL2010;
%let enddate_2010=30JUN2011;

[Tom]

Why do you need so many macro variables?

%let year=2016;
%let startdate=01JUL&year;
%let enddate=30JUN%eval(&year+1);

Anyway.

%do year=2010 %to 2016;
  %let startdate_&year=01JUL&year;
  %let enddate_&year=30JUN%eval(&year+1);
%end;

[ybz12003]

Hi Tom,

Got error message in Log.

15 %do year=2010 %to 2016;
ERROR: The %DO statement is not valid in open code.
16 %let startdate_&year=01JUL&year;
WARNING: Apparent symbolic reference YEAR not resolved.
ERROR: Symbolic variable name STARTDATE_&YEAR must contain only letters, digits, and underscores.
17 %let enddate_&year=30JUN%eval(&year+1);
WARNING: Apparent symbolic reference YEAR not resolved.
ERROR: Symbolic variable name ENDDATE_&YEAR must contain only letters, digits, and underscores.
18 %end;
ERROR: The %END statement is not valid in open code.

[PaigeMiller]

---

@ybz12003 wrote:

Hi Tom,

Got error message in Log.

15 %do year=2010 %to 2016;
ERROR: The %DO statement is not valid in open code.
16 %let startdate_&year=01JUL&year;
WARNING: Apparent symbolic reference YEAR not resolved.
ERROR: Symbolic variable name STARTDATE_&YEAR must contain only letters, digits, and underscores.
17 %let enddate_&year=30JUN%eval(&year+1);
WARNING: Apparent symbolic reference YEAR not resolved.
ERROR: Symbolic variable name ENDDATE_&YEAR must contain only letters, digits, and underscores.
18 %end;
ERROR: The %END statement is not valid in open code.

---

You have to run the %DO loop inside a macro. Or use the DATA step I provided.

[PaigeMiller]

How about using a data step loop? 

data _null_;
    do start_year=2010 to 2016;
    call symputx(cats('startdate_',year),mdy(7,1,year));
    call symputx(cats('enddate_',year),mdy(6,30,year+1));
    end;
run;  

[ybz12003]

Hi PaigeMiller,

Your codes are shown error too.

19 data _null_;
20 do start_year=2010 to 2016;
21 call symputx(cats('startdate_',year),mdy(7,1,year));
22 call symputx(cats('enddate_',year),mdy(6,30,year+1));
23 end;
24 run;

NOTE: Variable year is uninitialized.
ERROR: Symbolic variable name STARTDATE_. must contain only letters, digits, and underscores.
NOTE: Argument 1 to function SYMPUTX('startdate_.',.) at line 21 column 10 is invalid.
ERROR: Symbolic variable name ENDDATE_. must contain only letters, digits, and underscores.
NOTE: Argument 1 to function SYMPUTX('enddate_.',.) at line 22 column 10 is invalid.
ERROR: Symbolic variable name STARTDATE_. must contain only letters, digits, and underscores.
NOTE: Argument 1 to function SYMPUTX('startdate_.',.) at line 21 column 10 is invalid.
ERROR: Symbolic variable name ENDDATE_. must contain only letters, digits, and underscores.
NOTE: Argument 1 to function SYMPUTX('enddate_.',.) at line 22 column 10 is invalid.
ERROR: Symbolic variable name STARTDATE_. must contain only letters, digits, and underscores.
NOTE: Argument 1 to function SYMPUTX('startdate_.',.) at line 21 column 10 is invalid.
ERROR: Symbolic variable name ENDDATE_. must contain only letters, digits, and underscores.
NOTE: Argument 1 to function SYMPUTX('enddate_.',.) at line 22 column 10 is invalid.
ERROR: Symbolic variable name STARTDATE_. must contain only letters, digits, and underscores.
NOTE: Argument 1 to function SYMPUTX('startdate_.',.) at line 21 column 10 is invalid.
ERROR: Symbolic variable name ENDDATE_. must contain only letters, digits, and underscores.
NOTE: Argument 1 to function SYMPUTX('enddate_.',.) at line 22 column 10 is invalid.
ERROR: Symbolic variable name STARTDATE_. must contain only letters, digits, and underscores.
NOTE: Argument 1 to function SYMPUTX('startdate_.',.) at line 21 column 10 is invalid.
ERROR: Symbolic variable name ENDDATE_. must contain only letters, digits, and underscores.
NOTE: Argument 1 to function SYMPUTX('enddate_.',.) at line 22 column 10 is invalid.
ERROR: Symbolic variable name STARTDATE_. must contain only letters, digits, and underscores.
NOTE: Argument 1 to function SYMPUTX('startdate_.',.) at line 21 column 10 is invalid.
ERROR: Symbolic variable name ENDDATE_. must contain only letters, digits, and underscores.
NOTE: Argument 1 to function SYMPUTX('enddate_.',.) at line 22 column 10 is invalid.
ERROR: Symbolic variable name STARTDATE_. must contain only letters, digits, and underscores.
NOTE: Argument 1 to function SYMPUTX('startdate_.',.) at line 21 column 10 is invalid.
ERROR: Symbolic variable name ENDDATE_. must contain only letters, digits, and underscores.
NOTE: Argument 1 to function SYMPUTX('enddate_.',.) at line 22 column 10 is invalid.
start_year=2017 year=. _ERROR_=1 _N_=1
NOTE: Missing values were generated as a result of performing an operation on missing values.
Each place is given by: (Number of times) at (Line):(Column).
7 at -22:-53 7 at 21:42 7 at 22:40
NOTE: The SAS System stopped processing this step because of errors.
NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):
real time 0.31 seconds
cpu time 0.21 seconds

[Tom]

You can fix that yourself. The log is even giving you hint if you are having trouble seeing it.

NOTE: Variable year is uninitialized.

[PaigeMiller]

---

@ybz12003 wrote:

Hi PaigeMiller,

Your codes are shown error too.

19 data _null_;
20 do start_year=2010 to 2016;
21 call symputx(cats('startdate_',year),mdy(7,1,year));
22 call symputx(cats('enddate_',year),mdy(6,30,year+1));
23 end;
24 run;

NOTE: Variable year is uninitialized.

---

Yes, that was my mistake, which you should be able to fix easily

[ybz12003]

Not from me, but those individual variables will be used in the next checking procedure.    

[ballardw]

---

@ybz12003 wrote:

Not from me, but those individual variables will be used in the next checking procedure.    

---

The specific list of values you show makes me suspect that someone does not know how to use the INTNX function to get the start/end value of a month.

I would say just seeing that many macro variables that the process is likely overly convoluted and possibly trying to force a spreadsheet solution onto SAS data by maintaining poor structures and using "loopy" code instead of By group processing.