how to use Proc Content values into a macro

[HitmonTran]

Hi All,

I have an excel spread sheet that adds new column every week.  I want to create an efficient program where I don't need to manually add new columns every week  into the program, but rather hit the "run" button. 

This is what I had in mind. Let me know if it possible to execute these steps:

1. use Proc Contents to collect the variable names

2. use callsymput to create a macro of these variable names

3. create a local macro and calling these parameters with the callsymput values.

Here is an example:

Proc contents (only want 'NAME' =: '_').

proc contents data=instagram out=contents; run;

data outty;
set contents (where=(name=:'_'));
run;

data _null_;
	set outty;
	call symput('u'||strip(put(varnum,best.)), strip(name));
run;
%put &u1 &u2 &u3 &u4 &u5 &u6 &u7;    /**how would i make this efficient without adding each week***/


%macro val (no=,aval=);
data one&no.;
	set instagram;
	col="&aval";
	values=&aval;
	output;
	keep col values;
run;
%mend val;

%val (no=1,aval=_brand_a);  /***how would i use the callsymput here without adding new macro calls every week**/
%val (no=2,aval=_brand_b);
%val (no=3,aval=_brand_c);

THank you!

[Tom]

The easiest way is to skip the macro variable(s) and call the macro directly from the dataset that has the names already.

data outty;
  no+1;
  set contents ;
  where name=:'_' ;
  call execute(cats('%nrstr(%val)(no=',no,',aval=',name,')'));
run;