What is my macro missing?

[Tom]

The main issue is to simplify the macro so that it is just used to generate regular SAS statements. Your version was mixing macro logic and DATA step logic. First step is to just remove all of percent signs from the middle of your macro definition.

I will try to convert your example code using your variable names (if I can get copy and paste to work in this mini editor).

%macro FindParseAfter
(VarName            /* String to Parse */
,WhatItsLookingFor  /* Separator characters */
,TargetVarName      /* Variable to receive value */
,TempVar=_temp      /* temporary variable to hold substring value */
,LengthVar=_length  /* Temporary variable to hold length */
);
 
if find(&VarName,&WhatItsLookingFor) then do;
  &LengthVar = find(&VarName, &WhatItsLookingFor)+lengthc(&WhatItsLookingFor);
  &TempVar= substr(&VarName,&LengthVar,300);
  if find(&TempVar, '&') then do;
    &TargetVarName = scan(&TempVar,'&');
  end;
  else if find(&TempVar, '?') then do;
    &TargetVarName= scan(&TempVar,'?');
  end;
  else if find(&TempVar, '#') then do;
    &TargetVarName = scan(&TempVar,'#');
  end;
  else if find(&TempVar, '/') then do;
    &TargetVarName = scan(&TempVar,'/');
  end;
  else &TargetVarName = &TempVar;
end;
 
%mend;

Now your desired program becomes.

Data Step2;
  set Step1;
  %FindParse(URL, 'keyword',Keyword);
  %FindParse(URL, 'sortOption', Sort );
  %FindParse(URL, 'autoRedirect', AutoRedirect );
  %FindParse(URL, 'sid', SID);
  %FindParse(URL, 'psid', PSID);
run;

Now that you have a macro that is structured in a usable way you can work on the internal part about HOW to actually parse the strings.  That to me is really a different question than the one you posted to start.

[Doxastic]

THANKS TOM!  From that I was able to get something working, and much of what I want is in it.

%macro FindParseAfter

(Where2Start, OutVarName, VarName=URL, Number2Keep=1, BegParse=_temp, LenVar=_length);

if find(&VarName,&Where2Start) then do;

  &LenVar = find(&VarName, &Where2Start)+lengthc(&Where2Start);

  &BegParse = substr(&VarName,&LenVar,360);

  if find(&BegParse, '&') then do;

    &OutVarName = scan(&BegParse,&Number2Keep,'&');

  end;

  else if find(&BegParse, '?') then do;

    &OutVarName = scan(&BegParse,&Number2Keep,'?');

  end;

  else if find(&BegParse, '#') then do;

    &OutVarName = scan(&BegParse,&Number2Keep,'#');

  end;

  else if find(&BegParse, '/') then do;

    &OutVarName = scan(&BegParse,&Number2Keep,'/');

  end;

  else &OutVarName = &BegParse;

end;

drop _temp _length

%mend;

It would be nice if there were only 2 lines of parsing code, and I used some kind of END macro variable.  That way if the ending symbols changed to works, or different symbols, or more symbols.... it would only be a matter of changing the EndChar macro variable definition.  But that's ok.  This is useable code and I can start learning regular expression, then go from there.

Thanks again to everyone!