call symput, symget, resolve - which one to use?

[Lucas]

Hi all!

Cynthia@sas

Yes, I want to achieve exactly what you think.
I don't just want to see the text string with the INTNX function in the new column, I want to have the INTNX function execute.

Another words:

If I have oryginal DataSet
col_EXP;
intnx('day',today(),2);
intnx('day',today(),10);

I want to achieve this result:
col_EXP;col_DT
intnx('day',today(),2); 2010-12-09
intnx('day',today(),10); 2010-12-17


The solution of @art297, @polingjw and @Ksharp works fine. I was just wondered if it can be done in easier way. Now I know that there is no chance to make this in one datastep.

[art297]

Lucas,

I posted your question on the SAS-L board and one if its members, Joe Matise, provided precisely what I think you were looking for. Take a look at the following:

DATA test;
length col_EXP $50;
col_EXP="intnx(day,%sysfunc(today()),2)";output;
col_EXP="intnx(day,%sysfunc(today()),10)";output;
RUN;


data want;
set test;
format col_DT date9.;
col_DT = resolve('%sysfunc('||col_exp||')');
run;

Also, you had asked me about the formatting of the put statements I had used in my original offering. The +3 was simply indenting the line so that the file would be easier to read by humans.

Art

[Lucas]

art297,

Yes, it is exactly what I was looking for 🙂 Thanks a lot!

P.S What is SAS-L board? I'm quite new in SAS...

[art297]

A description of SAS-L, and how to access it, can be found at:
http://www.sascommunity.org/wiki/SAS-L

Art

[Lucas]

Thanks!
The problem was solved perfectly.

[Ksharp]

Hi.
The code is very brilliant.
But your code has some little different with op's code.

[pre]
col_EXP="intnx('day',today(),2)";output;
col_EXP="intnx(day,%sysfunc(today()),2)";output;
[/pre]

When I add two ' into your code ,and I got Error.


[pre]
364 data want;
365 set test;
366 format col_DT date9.;
367 col_DT = resolve('%sysfunc('||col_exp||')');
368 run;

NOTE: Character values have been converted to numeric values at the places given by: (Line):(Column).
367:10
ERROR: Required operator not found in expression: today()
ERROR: Argument 2 to function INTNX referenced by the %SYSFUNC or %QSYSFUNC macro function is not a number.
ERROR: Invalid arguments detected in %SYSCALL, %SYSFUNC, or %QSYSFUNC argument list. Execution of %SYSCALL statement or %SYSFUNC or
%QSYSFUNC function reference is terminated.
ERROR: Required operator not found in expression: today()
ERROR: Argument 2 to function INTNX referenced by the %SYSFUNC or %QSYSFUNC macro function is not a number.
ERROR: Invalid arguments detected in %SYSCALL, %SYSFUNC, or %QSYSFUNC argument list. Execution of %SYSCALL statement or %SYSFUNC or
%QSYSFUNC function reference is terminated.
NOTE: The SAS System stopped processing this step because of errors.
NOTE: There were 2 observations read from the data set WORK.TEST.
WARNING: The data set WORK.WANT may be incomplete. When this step was stopped there were 2 observations and 2 variables.
WARNING: Data set WORK.WANT was not replaced because this step was stopped.
NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):
real time 0.04 seconds
cpu time 0.00 seconds


[/pre]



Ksharp

Message was edited by: Ksharp

[ArtC]

Ksharp If you try only the second assignment statement the code will work. As with so many things in the macro language it is all about the timing.

[Ksharp]

Call execute can do it.It is very powerful.

[pre]
DATA test;
length col_EXP $50;
col_EXP="intnx('day',today(),2)";output;
col_EXP="intnx('day',today(),10)";output;
RUN;
data _null_;
set test end=last;
if _n_ eq 1 then call execute('data result;');
call execute('col_EXP=" '||col_EXP||'" ; ' );
call execute(cats('col_DT=',col_EXP,';' ));
call execute('format col_DT date9. ;');
call execute('output;');
if last then call execute('run;');
run;
[/pre]



Ksharp