sas, Basic help regarding MACROS

by **Sarav** » Fri, 05 Aug 2005 15:47:11 GMT

Hi all,

I am a rookie programmer in SAS. I was trying to learn SAS Macros and I
got myself into a real mess in a basic step. I need to store a variable
list to a macro variable and then export the variable list in another
variable.

I have a data set flights.diabetes which has 20 records in a character
variable 'ID'. I am trying to store the entire 20 records into
'varlist'. Then I would like to create a new dataset 'new' and would
like to transfer all the 20 records to a new variable 'wt' in the new
dataset.

I tried the following code:

data _null_;
set flights.diabetes;
allid = left(id);
call symput('varlist', allid);
run;

%put &varlist;

data new;
wt = &varlist;
run;

All I get in 'wt' is the last value of ID. What should I do to get the
entire list of values. Should I try to use arrays to store the entire
list?

It would be great if you guys can help me on this as I presume simple
MACRO concept.

Thanks,
Sarav

by **vaishali_mn** » Fri, 05 Aug 2005 16:34:27 GMT

Hi,

Try the following code.

data _null_;
set flights.diabetes;
allid = left(id);
call symput('varlist' || left(_n_), allid);
call symput('varcnt', left(_n_));
run;

%macro getvars;
%let allvars=;

%do i=1 %to &varcnt;
%let allvars = &allvars &&varlist&i;
%end;

data new;
wt = "&allvars";
run;

%mend getvars;

%getvars;

Regards,

Vaishali

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by **ddiskin** » Fri, 05 Aug 2005 19:04:18 GMT

Sarav,
Vaishali gave you a good datastep solution. SQL has options that do this=
=20
more easily:
proc sql noprint;
select id into :varlist separated by ' ' from flights.diabetes;
/*or to get them into distinct macro variables: */
select id into :var1 thru :var99 from flights.diabetes;
%let nvar =3D &sqlobs;
quit;
HTH,
Dennis Diskin

by **peter1.crawford** » Sat, 06 Aug 2005 00:20:19 GMT

how about avoiding macro until you really need it ! Try this:

%let id_len = 32; * or some simpler default ;
proc sql noprint ; * to collect the length of ID ;
select length into :id_len
from dictionary.columns
where libname= 'FLIGHTS'
& memname= 'DIABETES'
& upcase( name )= 'ID'
;
quit;
data new_layout;
attrib wt length= $1000 ;
do row= 1 to nobs_diabe ;
set flights.diabetes( keep= id ) point= row
nobs= nobs_diabe;
substr( wt, 1+ (row-1)*&id_len ) = left( id );
end;
*................ other processing of wt
or other data ;
output;
* and when ready ;
stop;
run;

If any of these statements and statement options are unfamiliar,
then learn about them, before you try to master base sas macros.

Good Luck

Pete Crawford

by **Toby** » Sat, 06 Aug 2005 04:13:24 GMT

Sarav,

Well I have seen you have been given a multitude of macro methods. And
yet no one has given you an explaination as to why you only get the
last value for Id in your macro variable.

Basically, you are creating a macro variable with the call symput.
However you are recreating that macro var with each iteration of the
data step. Thus over writing any previuos value you had in it.
Therefor you end up with one macro var with the last obs value for ID.

Now you have been given the data step solution that creates a many
macro vars, basically by adding on the _n_ value to the macros name.
But then you have the whole house keeping problem of how many did I
really create and then you have to get a count of that so you can use
the macro vars later, it is in my opinion way more trouble than it is
worth.

You also have been given the standard SQL solution which is to load a
distinct set of those values for ID into a macro var. While a much
better solution than the previuos one it still feels like your trying
to do to much where less is needed.

So with that in mind consider the following:

You don't need Macros at all to get to where you want to go to:

data new (keep = wf) ;
set flights.diabetes end = eof ;
length wf $200. ;
retain wf ;

wf = compbl(wf || id) ;

if eof then output ;

run ;

Should do it.

by **nospam** » Sat, 06 Aug 2005 05:11:19 GMT

Then, to complete this roundabout exercise:

data new;
do n = 1 to &nvar; drop n;
id = symget(compress('var'||put(n,2.) ) );
output;
end;
run;

by **davidlcassell** » Sat, 06 Aug 2005 05:47:26 GMT

I see that you have already gotten lots of excelletn advice. Let me
throw some more at you.

Try to do this with *no* macro code and *no* macro variables.

At best, you'll see that you just don't need to use macros in this case.
Macro programming is really useful in SAS, but it is often over-used and
abused too. SAS has so many powerful features that in many cases,
you just don't need the macro code.

At worst, you'll see how the code should look when you have the macro
built and executing.

Perhaps, if you wrote back to the SAS-L list and explained why you're
doing this, we could show you how to achieve your goals in a simpler
manner.

HTH,
David
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sas, Basic help regarding MACROS

sas >> Basic help regarding MACROS

sas >> Basic help regarding MACROS

sas >> Basic help regarding MACROS

Basic help regarding MACROS

Basic help regarding MACROS

Basic help regarding MACROS

Basic help regarding MACROS