Using Call Symput to Change a Macro Variable's Value

[emikea]

Hello- I'm clearly missing something simple here. Any idea why the following code will not change the value of the macro variable?

%SYMDEL MACRO1;

DATA _NULL_;

  %GLOBAL MACRO1;

  %LET MACRO1 = 0;

  %PUT MACRO1 IS NOW &MACRO1.;

  CALL SYMPUTX('MACRO1',1, 'G');

  %PUT MACRO1 IS NOW &MACRO1.;

RUN;

[SASKiwi · Accepted solution]

In your example there is no need to use a DATA step or call symputx. The main use of call symputx is to write a DATA step variable to a macro variable.

%GLOBAL MACRO1;

  %LET MACRO1 = 0;

  %PUT MACRO1 IS NOW &MACRO1.;

%LET MACRO1 = 1;

%PUT MACRO1 IS NOW &MACRO1.;

If you want to use call symputx then the value of macro1 will only change after the DATA step boundary as it is an executable DATA step statement.

DATA _NULL_;

  %GLOBAL MACRO1;

  %LET MACRO1 = 0;

  %PUT MACRO1 IS NOW &MACRO1.;

  CALL SYMPUTX('MACRO1',1, 'G');

RUN;

%PUT MACRO1 IS NOW &MACRO1.;

[emikea]

Thank you!