macro invocation in %PUT statement (in macro definition VS. in open code)

[pobel]

Hi All,

Please take a look at the following code:

Program
%macro a;     part1; part2 %mend; %macro b;    %put *%a*; %mend; *** Try 1; %b *** Try 2; %put *%a*;

Here is the result in the log:

Log
10   %b; *part1; part2* 11 12   %put *%a*; *part1 NOTE: Line generated by the invoked macro "A". 1    part1; part2            -----            180 ERROR 180-322: Statement is not valid or it is used out of proper order.

The same %PUT statement acts differently in the open code than in a macro definition.

In the open code, the semicolon between 'part1' and 'part2' was treated as the end of the %PUT statement. Just like when we directly submit "%put *part1; part2*;".

However, when the %PUT statement was in a macro program, the semicolon returned by "%a" was treated as a plain character.

Would anyone please explain this difference for me? I didn't find the answer from the HELP documentation.

Thanks a lot in advance!

Best regards!

[Amir]

Hi,

Interesting question, I can see that:

%put %quote(*%a*);

produces the desired result, making me think it is to do with macro quoting which is a large topic:

SAS(R) 9.3 Macro Language: Reference

Regards,

Amir.

[pobel]

Thanks Amir!

I have the same thought too, but didn't find any proof in the Help.

[Peter_C]

It is simpler than that.

The macro executes and generates text which is assumed to be valid syntax inopen code

When the text generated is a string it can resolve within " double quotes. However it must be valid code wherever the   macro executes .

When your macro executes it generates statements that might be valid inside a data step but which are not valid outside a data step.

It's not the macro at fault but its usage.

[pobel]

Thanks Peter.C!

What I cannot understand is:  why the returned code of a macro, when this macro was invoked inside another macro, was masked (the returned semicolon was not treated as the end of a statement).

If we add another %PUT statement in the macro A:

Program
%macro a;     part1; part2     %put This is when macro A execue.; %mend; %macro b;    %put *%a*; %mend; *** Try 1; %b *** Try 2; %put *%a*;

Log
19   %b This is when macro A execue *part1; part2* 20   %put *%a*; *part1 This is when macro A execue NOTE: Line generated by the invoked macro "A". 1    part1; part2             -----             180 ERROR 180-322: Statement is not valid or it is used out of proper order.

We can see from the log that when macro B executes, the execution of macro A was before B's %PUT statement. So I am guessing maybe there's an automatic quoting when a macro was invoked inside another macro definition. But I am not sure whether this guess is right or not.

Thanks again!

[Astounding]

You've noticed something, but our explanations can only be a "best guess".  We're seeing inputs and outputs, but not the process.  Here's my interpretation.

This has nothing to do with macro quoting, but has to do with the process of compiling a macro.  As part of the macro compilation process, macro language interprets the semicolon it can "see" (at the end of the %PUT statement) as ending the %PUT statement.  The introduction of a semicolon within %A does not change that interpretation.  In open code, however, the first semicolon ends the first statement.

[pobel]

Thank you, Astounding!

Your explanation is very helpful. Thank you very much on this one!