macro with returned value string instead numeric

[Nasser_DRMCP]

%macro mc_delai_jours_ouvres_Z21
	(
		  p_date_debut
		, p_date_fin
		, p_flag_jour_ouvre
		, p_cod_pay_iso
		, p_cod_lng
	) ;

	%local	rc nbr_jou_ouv ;

	%let p_date_min = min(&p_date_debut,&p_date_fin) ;
	%let p_date_max = max(&p_date_debut,&p_date_fin) ;

	%if &p_date_debut <= &p_date_fin %then
		%do ;
			%let sens_chrono = 1 ; 
		%end ;
		%else %do ;
			%let sens_chrono = -1 ; 
		%end ;
	

	%let rc=%sysfunc(dosubl(%nrstr(
		proc sql noprint ;
		  select count(DAT_CVL) * &sens_chrono into :nbr_jou_ouv
		  from SBOX.&mv_prefixe_tab_dim._Z21I_5ans  
		  where DAT_CVL > &p_date_min
		  	and DAT_CVL <= &p_date_max
			and &p_flag_jour_ouvre = 'O'
			and COD_PAY_ISO = "&p_cod_pay_iso"
			and COD_LNG_RIU = "&p_cod_lng"
		;
		quit;
	))) ;

	%superq(nbr_jou_ouv)

%mend mc_delai_jours_ouvres_z21 ;

data test ;
delai = resolve(cats('%mc_delai_jours_ouvres_z21(' , '01JUL2025'd, ',' , '31JUL2025'd, ',FLG_JOU_OUV' , ',FR' , ',FR' , ')' )) ;
run ;

hello

this is the code of my macro that calculate a delay between two dates. and the result is correct. i mean, the "delai" column in the test table is 21.

but this returned delai is a string and not a numeric . so by using this kind of comparator if delai > 6 ...i get this

"ERROR: Expression using greater than (>) has components that are of different data types."

[PaigeMiller]

I get a different error.

Please show us all of the log for this program ... not just the error messages.

[Nasser_DRMCP]

/*  step 1 */

data test ;

delai = resolve(cats('%mc_delai_jours_ouvres_z21(' , '01JUL2025'd, ',' , '31JUL2025'd, ',FLG_JOU_OUV' , ',FR' , ',FR' , ')' )) ;

run ;

/*  step 2 */

proc sql;

create table test2 as

select case when resolve(cats('%mc_delai_jours_ouvres_z21(' , '01JUL2025'd, ',' , '31JUL2025'd, ',FLG_JOU_OUV' , ',FR' , ',FR' , ')' ))  > 6 

then 'O'

else 'N' end as ANO_DELAI

from test ;

quit ;

/*  below the log of the step 2*/

The SAS System Monday, August 11, 2025 10:58:00 AM

1 ;*';*";*/;quit;run;
2 OPTIONS PAGENO=MIN;
3 %LET _CLIENTTASKLABEL='MC_CALCUL_PERIODE.sas';
4 %LET _CLIENTPROCESSFLOWNAME='Standalone Not In Project';
5 %LET _CLIENTPROJECTPATH='';
6 %LET _CLIENTPROJECTPATHHOST='';
7 %LET _CLIENTPROJECTNAME='';
8 %LET _SASPROGRAMFILE='/home/ldap/mellouna/smsas/MC_CALCUL_PERIODE.sas';
9 %LET _SASPROGRAMFILEHOST='lsas1kj3.cm-cic.fr';
10
11 ODS _ALL_ CLOSE;
12 OPTIONS DEV=SVG;
13 GOPTIONS XPIXELS=0 YPIXELS=0;
14 %macro HTML5AccessibleGraphSupported;
15 %if %_SAS_VERCOMP_FV(9,4,4, 0,0,0) >= 0 %then ACCESSIBLE_GRAPH;
16 %mend;
17 FILENAME EGHTML TEMP;
18 ODS HTML5(ID=EGHTML) FILE=EGHTML
19 OPTIONS(BITMAP_MODE='INLINE')
20 %HTML5AccessibleGraphSupported
MPRINT(HTML5ACCESSIBLEGRAPHSUPPORTED): ACCESSIBLE_GRAPH
21 ENCODING='utf-8'
22 STYLE=HTMLBlue
23 NOGTITLE
24 NOGFOOTNOTE
25 GPATH=&sasworklocation
26 ;
NOTE: Writing HTML5(EGHTML) Body file: EGHTML
27
28 %saseg_interactive_begin();
MPRINT(SASEG_INTERACTIVE_BEGIN): DATA _NULL_;
MPRINT(SASEG_INTERACTIVE_BEGIN): file
"/data/sastmp1/saswork/SAS_work7A1400311831_lsas1kj3/SAS_work9D0400311831_lsas1kj3/saseg_interactive_tmp_debut.log";
MPRINT(SASEG_INTERACTIVE_BEGIN): export_date=put(date(),ddmmyy10.);
MPRINT(SASEG_INTERACTIVE_BEGIN): export_time=put(time(),time.);
MPRINT(SASEG_INTERACTIVE_BEGIN): PUT "DEBUT;mellouna;'';'/home/ldap/mellouna/smsas/MC_CALCUL_PERIODE.sas';lsas1kj3;3217457;"
export_date+(-1)";" export_time+(-1);
MPRINT(SASEG_INTERACTIVE_BEGIN): RUN;

NOTE: The file "/data/sastmp1/saswork/SAS_work7A1400311831_lsas1kj3/SAS_work9D0400311831_lsas1kj3/saseg_interactive_tmp_debut.log"
is:
Filename=/data/sastmp1/saswork/SAS_work7A1400311831_lsas1kj3/SAS_work9D0400311831_lsas1kj3/saseg_interactive_tmp_debut.log,
Owner Name=mellouna,Group Name=domain users,
Access Permission=-rw-rw-r--,
Last Modified=11Aug2025:17:24:38

NOTE: 1 record was written to the file
"/data/sastmp1/saswork/SAS_work7A1400311831_lsas1kj3/SAS_work9D0400311831_lsas1kj3/saseg_interactive_tmp_debut.log".
The minimum record length was 104.
The maximum record length was 104.
NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):
real time 0.00 seconds
user cpu time 0.00 seconds
system cpu time 0.00 seconds
memory 605.03k
OS Memory 59324.00k
Timestamp 08/11/2025 05:24:38 PM
Step Count 186 Switch Count 0
2 The SAS System Monday, August 11, 2025 10:58:00 AM

Page Faults 0
Page Reclaims 22
Page Swaps 0
Voluntary Context Switches 0
Involuntary Context Switches 0
Block Input Operations 0
Block Output Operations 8

MPRINT(SASEG_INTERACTIVE_BEGIN): x "cat
/data/sastmp1/saswork/SAS_work7A1400311831_lsas1kj3/SAS_work9D0400311831_lsas1kj3/saseg_interactive_tmp_debut.log >>
$SAS_APPLI/data/stats/saseg_interactive.log";
29
30 proc sql;
31 create table test2 as
32 select case when resolve(cats('%mc_delai_jours_ouvres_z21(' , '01JUL2025'd, ',' , '31JUL2025'd, ',FLG_JOU_OUV' , ',FR' ,
32 ! ',FR' , ')' )) > 6
33 then 'O'
34 else 'N' end as ANO_DELAI
35 from test ;
ERROR: Expression using greater than (>) has components that are of different data types.
NOTE: PROC SQL set option NOEXEC and will continue to check the syntax of statements.
36 quit ;
NOTE: The SAS System stopped processing this step because of errors.
NOTE: PROCEDURE SQL used (Total process time):
real time 0.00 seconds
user cpu time 0.00 seconds
system cpu time 0.00 seconds
memory 5755.53k
OS Memory 64448.00k
Timestamp 08/11/2025 05:24:38 PM
Step Count 187 Switch Count 0
Page Faults 0
Page Reclaims 10
Page Swaps 0
Voluntary Context Switches 0
Involuntary Context Switches 0
Block Input Operations 0
Block Output Operations 0

37
38 %saseg_interactive_end();

MPRINT(SASEG_INTERACTIVE_END): DATA _NULL_;
MPRINT(SASEG_INTERACTIVE_END): file
"/data/sastmp1/saswork/SAS_work7A1400311831_lsas1kj3/SAS_work9D0400311831_lsas1kj3/saseg_interactive_tmp_fin.log";
MPRINT(SASEG_INTERACTIVE_END): export_date=put(date(),ddmmyy10.);
MPRINT(SASEG_INTERACTIVE_END): export_time=put(time(),time.);
MPRINT(SASEG_INTERACTIVE_END): PUT "FIN;mellouna;'';'/home/ldap/mellouna/smsas/MC_CALCUL_PERIODE.sas';lsas1kj3;3217457;"
export_date+(-1)";" export_time+(-1);
MPRINT(SASEG_INTERACTIVE_END): RUN;

NOTE: The file "/data/sastmp1/saswork/SAS_work7A1400311831_lsas1kj3/SAS_work9D0400311831_lsas1kj3/saseg_interactive_tmp_fin.log" is:
Filename=/data/sastmp1/saswork/SAS_work7A1400311831_lsas1kj3/SAS_work9D0400311831_lsas1kj3/saseg_interactive_tmp_fin.log,
Owner Name=mellouna,Group Name=domain users,
Access Permission=-rw-rw-r--,
Last Modified=11Aug2025:17:24:38
3 The SAS System Monday, August 11, 2025 10:58:00 AM

NOTE: 1 record was written to the file
"/data/sastmp1/saswork/SAS_work7A1400311831_lsas1kj3/SAS_work9D0400311831_lsas1kj3/saseg_interactive_tmp_fin.log".
The minimum record length was 102.
The maximum record length was 102.
NOTE: DATA statement used (Total process time):
real time 0.00 seconds
user cpu time 0.00 seconds
system cpu time 0.00 seconds
memory 717.15k
OS Memory 59324.00k
Timestamp 08/11/2025 05:24:38 PM
Step Count 188 Switch Count 0
Page Faults 0
Page Reclaims 22
Page Swaps 0
Voluntary Context Switches 0
Involuntary Context Switches 0
Block Input Operations 0
Block Output Operations 8

MPRINT(SASEG_INTERACTIVE_END): x "cat
/data/sastmp1/saswork/SAS_work7A1400311831_lsas1kj3/SAS_work9D0400311831_lsas1kj3/saseg_interactive_tmp_fin.log >>
$SAS_APPLI/data/stats/saseg_interactive.log";
39
40 %LET _CLIENTTASKLABEL=;
41 %LET _CLIENTPROCESSFLOWNAME=;
42 %LET _CLIENTPROJECTPATH=;
43 %LET _CLIENTPROJECTPATHHOST=;
44 %LET _CLIENTPROJECTNAME=;
45 %LET _SASPROGRAMFILE=;
46 %LET _SASPROGRAMFILEHOST=;
47
48 ;*';*";*/;quit;run;
49 ODS _ALL_ CLOSE;
50
51
52 QUIT; RUN;
53

[Tom]

You appear to be trying to compare the value returned by the character function RESOLVE() to the numeric constant 6.

create table test2 as
select case 
   when resolve(...) > 6 
   then 'O'
   else 'N' 
   end as ANO_DELAI
from test 
;

If you want to convert a string into a number use the INPUT function.

when input(resolve(.....),32.) > 6 ..

[Quentin · Accepted solution]

You could use the INPUT function to convert the value returned by RESOLVE to numeric, like below example using sashelp.class:

%macro try(name=) ;
  %local age ;
  %let rc=%sysfunc(dosubl(%nrstr(
 		proc sql noprint ;
		  select age into :age
      from sashelp.class 
		  where name="&name"
		;
		quit;
	))) ;

  &age
%mend ;

proc sql ;
  create table test2 as 
  select age
        ,case when input(resolve(cats('%try(name=' , name, ')' )),32.)  > 12 then 'A' else 'B' end as foo
  from sashelp.class 
   ;
quit ;

But this will run very slowly, because DOSUBL is slow (it does a lot of work), and you are calling DOSUBL for every record in in your data.

I can't quite follow the logic of your code, but it would probably be possible to rewrite this as a pure SQL query, and avoid use of DOSUBL.