%unquoting a macro variable containing a directory path

[bentleyj1]

There are quite a few questions about unquoting but none provide a solution for my problem.  I have a macro variable containing a directory string that is created in the SAS desktop environment and passed to a server via %syslput.  %syslput requires that the macro variable be %bquoted or else it will return an 'unrecognized options' error because of the / delimiters.  That's ok.

When I use the macro variable in the server environment in an X-Command it works just fine but SYMBOLGEN returns the "Some characters in the above value which were subject to macro quoting have been unquoted for printing." message.  Using the %unquote function doesn't make the message go away.  I'm wondering how to make it go away, other than use NOSYMBOLGEN.  This does not run inside a macro.

%let dirFieldList=/risk/data/201808/filelist.txt;

%syslput dirFieldList=%bquote(&dirFieldList);

RSUBMIT;

options symbolgen;

x rm %unquote(&dirFileList);

 ** Returns same message when &dirFileList is not inside " " ;

496 options symbolgen; 

497

498 x rm %unquote("&dirFileList");    

SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable DIRFILELIST resolves to /sasapp/credrisk/wfdscrdm/filelist.txt

SYMBOLGEN: Some characters in the above value which were subject to macro quoting have been unquoted for printing.

[Vince_SAS · Accepted solution]

I don't know if you can selectively suppress SYMBOLGEN messages, but perhaps a different method would work - system environment variables.  Untested code:

RSUBMIT;

options symbolgen;
options set=DIRFILELIST '/risk/data/201808/filelist.txt';

x 'rm $DIRFILELIST';

Vince DelGobbo

SAS R&D

[bentleyj1]

Thanks Vince!  Yeah, this could work for me.  I'll give it a spin.

I just want to get rid of the message.  Unexpected notes and messages make some people nervous, and I don't like them in my logs even when they're harmless.

John