Hi Shayan, I am more than happy to explain the code. Let's look at the DO WHILE loop first: You are right that we are loading the dataset NAMESLIST into a hash table, the lookup key being NAMESLIST also, because that is what I named the the variable (probably a little confusing for a new user in hindsight).  We also declare a hash iterator which allows us to iterate through the values contained within the hash table.  This is why we have the do while loop and the RC record control variables. HI.FIRST() moves the iterator to the top of the hash table, we do this for each record read in by the SET HAVE statement.  If it is successful in doing so then RC = 0 else RC not = 0.  If RC = 0 then the do loop will process the code for the first time with NAMESLIST containing the first value in the hash table throughout eventually reaching RC = HI.NEXT().  RC = HI.NEXT() tells the iterator to read in the next record.  If successful RC = 0 else RC not = 0.  If RC = 0 the next record is read in and the do loop is processed again. If RC not = 0 then the end of the hash table has been reached then exit the do loop as DO WHILE (RC = 0) is false.  The next record from HAVE is read in and we go through the above process again. Now let's explore the IF TRIM(SUBSTR(VNAME(_COUNT{I}),6,1)) = TRIM(SUBSTR(NAMESLIST,1,1)) THEN DO syntax. _COUNT is the name of the ARRAY created earlier in the code by the ARRAY statement.  _COUNT{I} means go to element I (which is the value from the created by the DO I = 1 TO 26 loop).  Typically we would want the value contained within _COUNT{I}, however by using the VNAME function we obtain the variable name associated with the relevant iteration of _COUNT{I}.  So if I = 1 then VNAME( _COUNT{I}) = COUNTA, if I = 2 then VNAME(_COUNT{I}) = COUNTB and so on. We then use SUBSTR to extract the last character of the variable name and TRIM the result to remove any trailing blanks.  TRIM(SUBSTR(NAMESLIST,1,1)) simply obtains the first character from the NAMESLIST variable from the current iteration through the hash table and trims the result. If the two values are equal then we add 1 to the count of that variable. To answer you question regarding why you can't see GEORGE in NAMELIST.  Every time you iterate through the values in hash table the value in NAMESLIST is overwritten.  You can see that both GEORGE and GARRY have been located in the first OBS of the HAVE table because COUNTG = 2.  If you don't believe me that GEORGE is being evaluated simply add PUT _N_= NAMESLIST=; immediately after DO WHILE (RC = 0); and you will see what NAMESLIST contained for each record of HAVE in the log. I hope that this helps you better understand my code. ... View more

Thanks FriedEgg.  I was able to locate that, but can't find a way of rectifying the situation. I have tried the following without success. proc http method="post"     url="https://api.twitter.com/oauth2/invalidate_token"; run; Do you have any ideas? ... View more

I agree.  I did a trial earlier and it didn't seem to matter on my test dataset, but it's better to be safe than sorry. ... View more

Just saw that SHELLP55 resolves to Shelley in the forum, so I apologise for calling you a 'he' shellp. ... View more

If he was merely appending datasets together this approach would work, however I don't believe that you can update a dataset once the data is contained within it, hence the macro. You also require 2 datasets in order to do an update. ... View more

Hi Shell, You have added the concatenation of "TXT" to the code unnecessarily. My Code: DATA _NULL_; INFILE FILES TRUNCOVER END=LAST; INPUT FNAME $5.; I+1; CALL SYMPUT("FNAME"||TRIM(LEFT(PUT(I,8.))),TRIM(FNAME)); IF LAST THEN CALL SYMPUT("TOTAL",TRIM(LEFT(PUT(I,8.)))); RUN; Your Code: data _null_; infile files truncover end=last; input fname $5.; i+1; call symput("fname"||trim(left(put(i,8.))),trim(fname)||".txt"); if last then call symput("total",trim(left(put(i,8.)))); call symput("fnamedate"||trim(left(put(i,8.))),substr(trim(fname),15,8)); run; If you want to understand what the values look like that you are reading in using the INFILE STATMENT then output the results to a dataset. data testing; infile files truncover end=last; input fname $5.; i+1; call symput("fname"||trim(left(put(i,8.))),trim(fname)||".txt"); if last then call symput("total",trim(left(put(i,8.)))); call symput("fnamedate"||trim(left(put(i,8.))),substr(trim(fname),15,8)); run; If you have problem with the code moving forward, can you please state what the problem is, not just the fact that it won't work.  Error messages and the like will help identify what the problem is and how to resolve it.  It will also help us teach you to better debug your code. Regards, Scott ... View more

How about this? %PUT %SYSFUNC(PUTN(%SYSFUNC(INTNX(DAY,%SYSFUNC(TODAY()),-1)),date9.)); ... View more

Hi Shell, It appears that you deleted "/o:N" from the dir windows command.  This keeps the files ordered by Name.  I gather that your file names have an a value that designates their order. Adding the /o:N to your code show resolve the order in which they are processed. ... View more

You could read your macro variables into a dataset and then load the resulting dataset into a HASH TABLE. OPTIONS SYMBOLGEN MPRINT MLOGIC; /*MACRO VARIABLES*/ %LET CANDIDATECODE_5DIGIT1 = 0030; %LET CANDIDATECODE_5DIGIT2 = 0031; %LET CANDIDATECODE_5DIGIT3 = 0039; %LET CANDIDATECODE_5DIGIT4 = 0084; %LET CANDIDATECODE_5DIGIT5 = 0085; %LET CANDIDATECODE_5DIGIT6 = 0090; %LET CANDIDATECODE_3DIGIT1 = 003; %LET CANDIDATECODE_3DIGIT2 = 008; %LET CANDIDATECODE_3DIGIT3 = 009; /*CONVERT MACRO VARIABLES INTO A DATASET*/ DATA MACVARS; LENGTH VALUES $5; DO H = 3,5; DO I = 1  BY 1 WHILE (SYMEXIST(CATT("CANDIDATECODE_",H,"DIGIT",I)) = 1); _LIST = CATT("CANDIDATECODE_",H,"DIGIT",I); VALUES = SYMGET(CATT("CANDIDATECODE_",H,"DIGIT",I)); OUTPUT; END; END; DROP H I; RUN; /*CREATE THE DATA YOU WANT TO COMPARE AGAINST*/ DATA HAVE; INFILE DATALINES TRUNCOVER DSD DLM=','; INPUT DX_CODE_5DIGIT1 :$5. DX_CODE_5DIGIT2 :$5. DX_CODE_5DIGIT3 :$5. DX_CODE_3DIGIT1 :$5. DX_CODE_3DIGIT2 :$5. DX_CODE_3DIGIT3 :$5.; DATALINES; 23231,8770,0030,232,877,003 035,0031,0032,035,003 0032,,003 0239,,023 ; RUN; /*CREATE A HASH TABLE LOADED WITH THE VALUES FROM YOUR MACRO VARIABLES*/ /*USE HASH ITERATOR TO CYCLE THROUGH THE VALUES IN THE HASH TABLE*/ DATA WANT;   LENGTH VALUES $5; IF _N_ = 1 THEN DO;   DECLARE HASH H (DATASET:"MACVARS");   H.DEFINEKEY ("VALUES");   H.DEFINEDATA ("VALUES");   H.DEFINEDONE ();   DECLARE HITER ITER("H"); END; /*INITIALIZE VARIABLE VALUES OTHERWISE YOU GET WARNING NOTES*/   CALL MISSING (VALUES); /*CREATE AN ARRAY FOR STRINGS WITH 3 CHARACTERS AND ONE FOR THOSE WITH 5 CHARACTERS*/   ARRAY _DIGITS3 {*} $ DX_CODE_3DIGIT1 - DX_CODE_3DIGIT3;   ARRAY _DIGITS5 {*} $ DX_CODE_5DIGIT1 - DX_CODE_5DIGIT3; /*READ THE DATASET IN CONTAINING THE VALUES */   SET HAVE;   FLAG = 0; /*GO TO THE FIRST RECORD WITHIN THE HASH TABLE*/   RC = ITER.FIRST();   DO I = 1 BY 1 WHILE (RC = 0);   /*IF THE VALUE FROM THE HASH TABLE IS 3 CHARACTERS IN LENGTH THEN COMPARE THE VALUES WITH THE _DIGITS3 ARRAY*/   IF LENGTH(TRIM(VALUES)) = 3 THEN DO;   IF WHICHC(VALUES,OF _DIGITS3{*})> 0   THEN DO;   FLAG = 1;   LEAVE;   END;   RC = ITER.NEXT();   END;   /*IF THE VALUE FROM THE HASH TABLE IS GREATER THAN 3 CHARACTERS IN LENGTH THEN COMPARE THE VALUES WITH THE _DIGITS5 ARRAY*/   ELSE IF LENGTH(TRIM(VALUES)) > 3 THEN DO;   IF WHICHC(VALUES,OF _DIGITS5{*})> 0   THEN DO;   FLAG = 1;   LEAVE;   END;   RC = ITER.NEXT();   END;   END;   DROP I RC VALUES; RUN; ... View more

Hi Shellp55, I don't know why you were experiencing issues with the ';' missing as they appear in my code and it works perfectly.  Anything that is contained within the %Macro <MACRONAME>; and <MEND>; is not color coded.  If you want to retain the color coding then use %LET A = %NRSTR(%MEND;); immediately after %Macro <MACRONAME>;  This tricks the editor into observing the %MEND; without actually resolving it and doesn't effect the outcome of your code. I only really use it when I have a very complex macro during debugging. Does this help? ... View more