macro variable, it will return the variable name instead of the value to the macro variable. In SAS you can create macro variables in a variety of ways. You can create a multi-usable program in which analysis of variables can be controlled by updating the values of macro variables. Automatic SAS macro variables are macro variables that are set when a SAS product is deployed. Thus, the There is no column control as in the DATA Step PUT statement, and quotes are not required. &<Macro variable Name> Example:-We can also declare multiple macro variables and use them at different places in SAS Code. PDF SYMPUT and SYMGET: Getting DATA Step Variables and Macro ... The SQLOBS automatic variable is useful if a subsequent part of your program needs to know how many variables were actually created. The %PUT _USER_ statement in open code writes nothing to the SAS log, because no global macro variables are created. You can use these references anywhere in a SAS program. If text comes immediately after a macro variable, we have to tell SAS where the end of the macro variable name is with a period. Namely, the example shows a single procedure that assigns a macro variable and then immediately uses the (formatted) macro variable in a global statement (TITLE). Now, let us consider a single macro variable with multiple values in it. The most common uses for macro variables are as data file names or targets of logical-if . How do you reference a macro variable in SAS ... For example, suppose you run a SAS procedure that computes some statistic in a table. and . SAS Macros Made Easy - ListenData We have a list of variables and a list for the new names of these variables. For example, the string could contain an unmarked, unmatched left parenthesis. Example 2: Creating a series of macro variable. Following regular SAS variable naming conventions, we will create a macro variable called &WHEN. The macros here perform these operations on one or more SAS data sets in a folder. NOTE:you may want to consider that variableValue all on its own might bring you syntax errors, depening on what the value is and how it's used. For more information on learning how macro programs work, visit our seminar page on Introduction to SAS Macro Language. . . So in a sense, saying &&&name_of_variable is saying "Show me the value of the variable whose name is stored in name_of_variable." Here is a motivating example for why you would want to do this. Example In this presentation, yo. First, I will place my date into a Macro Variable. One in the first line, where SAS tries to resolve the macro variable T because during tokenization, SAS interprets the ampersand as a macro trigger. works great with IBM® Netezza® SQL and Transact-SQL. 550 create a macro variable using a %LET assignment statement. Example 12: Using Macro Variables within a CARDS or DATALINES Statement 542 Example 13: Print Information to the Output Window If a Data Set Is Empty . Hence, we should use double . But clearly SAS doesn't solve the macro. If you write more complex code, you probably create macro variables and/or macro functions. Posted 03-03-2012 04:58 PM (13299 views) Hi, This is the first time I write a code with macro and I get stucked with seemingly very easy step. We applied our SAS macro %bias_var to an empirical study using data from a population-based cohort of the Clinical Practice Research Datalink and Hospital Episode Statistics to investigate the association of statin use after myocardial infarction (MI) on the risk of one-year mortality. Scenario Number 1. A macro variable array is where there are macro variables that are similarly named, such as Var1, Var2, Var3, and so on. The MYVAR1 macro variable is created by CALL SYMPUT in the local ENV1 symbol table. %LET variableName = variableValue; Now, anywhere you use &variableName, it will resolve to variableValue.. use a macro variable in a SAS program. Upon completion of this tutorial, you would understand how to create macros and where they can be used. Macro variables that are created within a macro are stored within the scope of the macro's local symbol table and are wiped once the macro finishes execution. In the example below, we want to rename variables faminc1 and faminc2 to be a and b for no particular reason. Example. Knowing SAS Macros is an advantage in the job market over other candidates. Example 7: Using a Macro to Create New Variable Names from Variable Values Example 8: Dynamically Determine the Number of Observations and Variables in a SAS Data Set Example 9: Use Macro Logic to Determine If an External File Is Empty Using Macro Variables. And the t1,t2 etc. &YY. To use the INTCK function, you need the %synfunc-function. However, these functions are not so useful for masking strings that contain references to macro variables because it is possible that the macro variable could resolve to a value not quotable by %STR or %NRSTR. In the below example, the CALL SYMPUT statement builds a series of macro variable names by combining the character string Country and the left-aligned value of _N_. write and invoke a SAS macro that uses parameters. Here, we create the macro variable a with the value AT&T. The first code snippet results in two warnings. If you do not pass a value to the macro when it is invoked, a null value is assigned to the macro variable specified in the %MACRO statement. For example, when we write characters such as % and & signs, which are used to signal the macro processor to perform tasks such as creating macro variables, retrieving values of macro variables, and calling macro. In SAS, you raise a number to a given power with the double-asterisk (**). The SELECT INTO clause is useful when the values you want to assign to the macro variables are stored in a table. SAS macro functions usage examples. If the value of SYSSCP is anything other than OS or VMS, ACLIB writes a message in the SAS log indicating that no utilities are available. The macros here perform these operations on one or more SAS data sets in a folder. 544 You can create a series of macro variables using this form. can not be changed in the running DATA Step. The text stored . I tried to name them &&cont4_&&var&i for example. We calculate the square root in a SAS Data Step and PROC SQL. %macro readdata (yrmo=); data &yrmo; infile 'C:\Users\XXX\&yrmo'; input cusip $ 1-8 name $ 9-40 date issue_date maturity_date trader_matrix $ flat_prc acc . This tutorial explains SAS macros with practical examples. We can also declare multiple macro variables and use them at different places in SAS Code. You cannot use a SAS variable list or a macro expression that generates a SAS variable list in a %GLOBAL statement. #3. The macro is designed for With this my macro variables cont4_&&var&i cont8_&&var&i cont9_&&var&i are costantly overwrited.and they become unuseful outside of their loop. Suppose you had a simple macro subroutine that added an arbitrary number to a numerical value stored in a SAS macro variable. With macro options such as SYMBOLGEN, we are able to view the generated codes in the log. The outline of this macro is utilizing macro variables above to output blocks to data set at the very first. Example 6: Using a Macro to Create New Variable Names from Variable Values Example 7: Dynamically Determine the Number of Observations and Variables in a SAS Data Set Example 8: Use Macro Logic to Determine If an External File Is Empty Example. We create a simple macro array using the distinct values of the variable Origin from the Sashelp.Cars table: Output 3. However, as every programmer soon finds out, SAS functions cannot be performed directly on macro variables. Macro variables in SAS are used extensively for reusing codes. macro-variable(s) is the name of one or more macro variables or a text expression that generates one or more macro variable names. For more information about including quotation marks as part of the title, see Expressions in SAS Language Reference: Concepts. With the %STR function, all the text with the parentheses is assigned to the macro variable. If the macro variable mdl_type resolves to "dep", the macro variable scr_var from the following code would resolve to &dep_var not the value of dep_var and then into the SAS statements contained in the macro variable dep_var. SAS provides an elegant solution to overcome these problems with the CALL SET routine. When the value of the macro variable TAXRATE is SAME, then the macro generates the following DATA step: DATA THISYEAR; SET LASTYEAR; TAX = .03; RUN; Example 2: Conditionally Printing Reports This paper will show how PROC SQL can be used to generate a macro . With the capability of storing up to 64k bytes of information, you could store a complete program or even the text of a novel within a single macro variable. For example by using arrays. For example, suppose we wish to store the unique values of the variable ORIGIN from the data set SASHELP.CARS (one of the built-in sample data sets included with SAS). Hence, we should use double quotes to reference them. Remember that the SAS macro preprocessor writes SAS code that executes later, when the macro is invoked. When specifying multiple positional parameters, use a comma to separate the parameters. Displaying Macro Variables %PUT displays macro variables to the log at compile time. The CALL SYMPUT Routine in a Macro Generating a Complete DATA Step shows all of the symbol tables in this example. refers to a macro variable - % name. Note: When you specify a range of macro variables, the SAS macro facility creates only the number of macro variables that are needed. This works for PROC SQL because SQL is an INTERACTIVE procedure, which means that each statement is executed as it is encountered. This results in 19 comma separated names in the macro variable n. Run the code and verify in the log. variable. Whenever you use &AGE4 or &AGE2, SAS will substitute the stored text associated with the macro variables, for example. SELECT <variable name in a SAS data set> INTO :<macro variable name> SEPARATED BY '<a blank, a character, or a character string>' In this example, we want to store the values of the variable SSN from data set SSN_LIST as the text of the macro variable &SSNOK. The SAS macro facility will resolve the macro variable only if the text is in double quotation marks. NOTE: I find that date9. The purpose of using the macro language is used to generate SAS codes based on our instruction. the parameter should have the format of YYYYMM. Example 3 continued: data mylib.orion_&the_year. Resolving the macro variable after a LABEL statement in a DATA step will generate the SAS codes we need to create labels for all the variables from the driver data set. For example, if it is a date and you're using it . macro variable, %LET, INTO, CALL SYMPUT, macro parameter, %DO INTRODUCTION The macro variable, also known as a symbolic variable, is key to the use of the macro language. You are trying to subtract the letters diff from the value of the macro variable i. In this article, we show some simple examples of how to use the SQRT function. &<Macro variable Name> Example:-Name of Macro variable. In this article, we discuss how to create macro variables with the SELECT INTO clause. In SAS code: - & name. In other words, a running step can not change it's source code -- The resolved macro variable will be the same for all implicit iterations of the step . this is a toy example in order to help with a larger problem I have. For example, if you specify :var1-:var9999 and only 55 variables are needed, only :var1-:var55 is created. refers to a macro • Macro code consists of these two elements and their relationship to each other The Parmbuff Option lets programmers write macro definitions with a variable number of parameters. Thus, the Rather than change all the spaces to underscores or remove them, is there a way I can format the list so the macro will run with the original value? This variable happens to . I would describe %LET as being the most simple way to creating a Macro Variable in SAS. Also, we demonstrate how to work with the SQRT function in macro variables and macro functions. %PUT is often the easiest way to debug macros. Example 3 Using a macro variable before other text. Objectives. For more information about including quotation marks as part of the title, see Expressions in SAS Language Reference: Concepts. Deepanshu Bhalla 21 Comments SAS, SAS Macros This tutorial explains how single (&), double (&&) and Triple (&&&) ampersand macro variables are resolved. The SAS MEDIATE Macro Ellen Hertzmark, Mathew Pazaris, and Donna Spiegelman January 17, 2018 Abstract The %MEDIATE macro calculates the point and interval estimates, as well as a p-value, for the percent mediation of one effect by one or more intermediate variables. The INTO statement in PROC SQL is used to put values from datasets into macro variables. text assigned to each macro variable would end at the first semi-colon. This function makes the blanks significant while assigning the value to the macro variable. macro variable, it will return the variable name instead of the value to the macro variable. . So in other words the title changes throughout the %MACRO itself. The Macro variable name is any valid SAS variable. The syntax of the SELECT statement for macro variable creation is. The macro variable does not resolve when they access within single quotes. . Here is the code I am trying to pass the macro 'list' through to create a file fo. Macro variables are referenced by using ampersand (&) followed by macro variable name. There is nothing special about this on its own, but the INTO statement also has the ability to populate the macro variable with a delimited list of multiple values. See the examples below on how to use the SAS INTCK function in a macro. These references perform symbolic substitutions when they resolve to their value. For example, the macro variable SYSDATE is the date at which a given SAS product was invoked in the DATE7 format. SAS Macros Made Easy. Before we go into the scope of macro variables, it is important to look at some examples. Yes! After a macro variable is created, you typically use the variable by referencing it with an ampersand preceding its name (&variable-name), which is called a macro variable reference. data mylib.orion_&the_year_sales; set sashelp.orsales; if year = &the_year; run; . Here is an example: If the macro variable mdl_type resolves to "dep", the macro variable scr_var from the following code would resolve to &dep_var not the value of dep_var and then into the SAS statements contained in the macro variable dep_var. To insure that a macro variable will be available for the entire SAS session you may mention the variable in a %GLOBAL statement. It essentially involves using a %eval() macro when referencing a bigger macro variable name. You can also store these values in a macro variable, as shown in the next section. %PUT can display text, macro variables, or a few special variables such as _all_ which displays all macro variables. This variable happens to . You are misusing the macro system. Getting DATA Step Variables and Macro Variables to Share Christianna Williams, PhD The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ABSTRACT Because one of the most powerful incentives to use the SAS® macro language is to allow SAS programs to be more data-driven, it is critical for the DATA step and the macro facility to "talk" to each other. The general form a %LET statement is %LET macro-variable-name = value; where macro-variable-name is a name you make up following the standard rules for SAS names (32 characters or fewer in Example. INTCK & Macro Functions. Getting More Out of "INTO" in PROC SQL: An Example for Creating Macro Variables Mary-Elizabeth Eddlestone, SAS Institute Inc., Albany, NY ABSTRACT Is there an easy way to create a series of dummy variables whose names are the unique values of a character variable? Regardless of the number of arguments. SAS Macro variables are referenced by using an ampersand (&) followed by a macro variable name. % LET (Macro Variable Name) = Value; Here the Value field can take any numeric, text or date value as required by the program. I have created a macro variable x_2, Keywords: SAS, macro, standardization, table1, publication, cohort characteristics, age-standardization, confounders, exposure category Contents 1 Description 2 2 Invocation and Details 2 3 Example 1 - Basic Macro call 5 4 Example 2 - No Exposure 9 5 Example 3 - Calculating number of participants and number of observations 10 In the example below, we create a list of names in the macro variable n. We do so with the Separated by Clause. I want to write a macro function, that sums the input arguments. Upon completion of this lesson, you should be able to: understand what a SAS macro is. A macro variable in SAS is a string variable that allows you to dynamically modify the text in a SAS program through symbolic substitution. so e.g. Then you can change the value of the macro variable in the %LET statement, and SAS will repeat the new value throughout your program. This value ("9409" in our example) will be substituted in the space taken up by the macro variable We will assign a value to &WHEN when we call the macro. A macro program can contain a %DO. ampersand(&) before the macro name. Double ampersands resolve macro variables whose names are made up of concatenated macro variable names. The SAS® macro facility is an amazing tool for creating dynamic, flexible, reusable programs that can automatically adapt to change. the macro processor. data test; input age @@; *** use a macro variable to insert . SAS Macro programming is considered as an advanced SAS. After macro variable resolution, SAS sees this statement: SET INSALES.TEMP; You can end any macro variable reference with a delimiter, but the delimiter is necessary only if the characters that follow can be part of a SAS name. The ampersand (&) introducer in source code tells SAS to resolve the following symbol and place it into the code submission stream.Thus, the resolved &MOB1_acct. In the code below, I define the macro %sumthem. Hello, I have a list of counties that have spaces in their names. In this macro, ACLIB, the %SYSEXEC statement executes one of two operating environment utility programs based on the value of the automatic macro variable SYSSCP. For example, a subject with a confirmed CR must be a subject with at least two CR records, exactly all the macro variables which are output for CR above (Figure 7). For example, to delete a variable from a SAS data set, the user must specify a particular data set and the variable. In a clean SAS session, the T macro variable does not exist. distinguish between local and global macro variables. The Macro Variable method creates a SAS macro variable to store the codes. I've been looking for a way to create a variable that can let me run a proc sql select a table for a specific 10 months looking back. SAS functions accomplish these tasks on regular variables in a data step. I do not specify any parameters in the %Macro Statement. macro variables. Our analytic cohort consisted of patients aged 18 or older with a recorded MI between . Macro variables are indicated by preceding a variable name with an ampersand (&). How to use macro variable in infile statement. Select Multiple Values Into a Single SAS Macro Variables. contains the current value of the "by" variables which are used for the subsetting. The SAS macro facility will resolve the macro variable only if the text is in double quotation marks. %END loop which executes multiple times. Re: date macro variable in explicit pass through sql Posted 01-15-2017 01:01 AM (17175 views) | In reply to csetzkorn I've never used Teradata but a quick Google search for Teradata date formats suggests '2016-01-01' is more commonly used. We cover the syntax of this clause and provide examples with SAS code. Create a macro variable from a value in a data set. One way to get the macro variable value outside the scope of the macro is to 'promote' it to the GLOBAL symbol table via the %GLOBAL macro statement. Use whichever format that works for the type of SQL you're executing. Then CR and PR confirmation is based on these "blocks". Consider the example below. SAS system macro variables available to us. . You create a SAS macro variable with leading and/or trailing blanks with the %STR() function. For example, suppose we wish to store the unique values of the variable ORIGIN from the data set SASHELP.CARS (one of the built-in sample data sets included with SAS).