I realized since you can have SGPLOT output the template code, I could test my theory of what was happening in background.  Here are 3 examples with different attempts at quoting (Anca's successful double-quoting, followed by two approaches that "should" work according to the macro quoting "rules": proc sgplot data=sashelp.class tmplout="d:\junk\tmpl_1.sas";          scatter x=height y=weight;         xaxis label ='%nrstr(%%things)';         yaxis label= '%nrstr(some label &beautiful words)'; run; proc sgplot data=sashelp.class tmplout="d:\junk\tmpl_2.sas";          scatter x=height y=weight;         xaxis label ="%nrstr(%%things)";         yaxis label= "%nrstr(some label &beautiful words)"; run; proc sgplot data=sashelp.class tmplout="d:\junk\tmpl_3.sas";          scatter x=height y=weight;         xaxis label ='%things';         yaxis label= 'some label &beautiful words'; run; When I look at the template, Anca's double quoting produces: proc template; define statgraph sgplot; begingraph /; layout overlay / xaxisopts=( Label="%nrstr(%things)" type=linear ) yaxisopts=( Label="%nrstr(some label &beautiful words)" type=linear );    ScatterPlot X=Height Y=Weight / primary=true LegendLabel="Weight" NAME="SCATTER"; endlayout; endgraph; end; run; Only surprise for me above is that the double %% from label='%nrstr(%%things)' is gone. But both of the other versions both write the unqouted: proc template; define statgraph sgplot; begingraph /; layout overlay / xaxisopts=( Label="%things" type=linear ) yaxisopts=( Label="some label &beautiful words" type=linear );    ScatterPlot X=Height Y=Weight / primary=true LegendLabel="Weight" NAME="SCATTER"; endlayout; endgraph; end; run; ... View more

Nifty, thanks Anca! So if my theory is correct about what is happpening (values becoming unquoted when the template is written), then you have avoided the problem by quoting twice.   The single quotes prevent the text from being resolved when the template is being written.   Then the template gets written with %nrstr() there as part of the value of the label.  So %nrstr() does its work when the template is used. proc sgplot data=sashelp.class;          scatter x=height y=weight;         xaxis label ='%nrstr(%%things)';        /*%nrstr() inside of single quotes, due to sgplot macro unquoting oddity, fixed in 9.4*/         yaxis label= '%nrstr(some label &beautiful words)'; run; Thanks Dan for confirming this is a known issue of SG procs resolving quoted macro references.  Will look forward to 9.4. --Q. ... View more

Hi Anca, Your example doesn't cause warnings because you have a space after the % and & signs. %text1 is not a macro call, it's intended to be just text, so I added macro quoting and single quotes, but they are becoming unquoted and causing the warning message. Maybe a clearer example would be:   xaxis label= '%Bias' ; Goal is to have a label that says %Bias, without SAS trying to execute a macro named %Bias.  Current workaround is to just add a space, so:   xaxis label= '% Bias'; /*space after % sign so that it's not a macro trigger*/ Thanks, --Q. ... View more

Wow, many thanks to you all!  (didn't I hear that SAS was closed for the holidays? : ) Really appreciate the alternate solutions. Sanjay and Dan, I have your Statistical Graphics Procedures by Example book out on my desk today, it has been a great introduction to SG procs.  So thanks for that as well.  (And Sanjay's SGRENDER solution might encourage me to get back into Warren Kuhfeld's GTL book, which I figured I'd dive into after spending more time with basic SGPLOT...  ) --Q. ... View more

Thanks so much Cynthia, that's definitely what I'm seeing. Where were you last night, when I was banging my ahead against the keyboard.:smileygrin: This morning, I started debugging from scratch with a simpler example, and started commenting out code, thinking "Well, it couldn't be the footnote statement", and there it was....   Which is a lesson it feels like I re-learn every 3 months.  When faced with odd results, debug calmly and methodically....  Last night I had 100 different theories for what could have been wrong (my ods PATH is being reset somewhere, there is a problem with my PROC TEMPLATE code, the .jpg file is corrupted, I should restart the SAS session, etc etc), but was too tired and frustrated to just debug. --Q. ... View more