Date:         Mon, 21 Feb 2000 10:32:36 +0100
Reply-To:     Jim Groeneveld <J.Groeneveld@ITGROUPS.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Jim Groeneveld <J.Groeneveld@ITGROUPS.COM>
Subject:      Re: macro variable more-than-8-char-problem
Comments: To: Torben Haslund <Torben.Haslund@VBIOL.SLU.SE>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Torben,

I assume your intercept is not a variable name in a dataset. If it would be
and you would use SAS vs. 8 (which I don't have) than I would not expect
that error, for AFAIK variable names longer than 8 characters are allowed in
vs. 8.

So I expect it to be ( and intended as such) just a text. In macro
statements text needs not to be qouted (macro language is only
textprocessing). However in a normal data step such text should be qouted
and thus your statement
if &intercpt = intercept then pp=p+1;           * this would compare
variables;
should read:
if "&intercpt" = "intercept" then pp=p+1;      * this compares values;
It is necessary to use the double quote, because otherwise the macro
variable &intercpt would not be resolved.

I hope this is clear.

Regards - Jim.
--
Y. Groeneveld, MSc            IMRO TRAMARKO       tel. +31 412 407 070
senior statistician,          P.O. Box 1          fax. +31 412 407 080
head IT department            5350 AA BERGHEM     IMRO TRAMARKO: a CRO
J.Groeneveld@ITGroups.com     the Netherlands     in clinical research

My computer now is used long enough to the year ²°°° trap.


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Torben Haslund [SMTP:Torben.Haslund@VBIOL.SLU.SE]
> Sent: Monday, February 21, 2000 10:13 AM
> To:   SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject:      macro variable more-than-8-char-problem
>
> Dear SAS-Lers,
>
> I use a macro variable which can take the value "intercept" - without
> quotes.
> But I also need to use it in an IF...THEN statement, and that does not
> work
> because it  has more than 8 char. What should I do?
>
> %let intercpt =  intercept;
> %put intercpt = &intercpt;
>
> data tst1;
> a=5;
> b=6;
> run;
>
> data tst2;
> set tst1;
> if   &intercpt = intercept then pp=p+1;
> run;
>
>
>
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
> Torben Haslund
> Department of Plant Biology
> Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
> P.O. Box 7080
> S - 750 07 UPPSALA, Sweden
>
> E-mail address:                 Torben.Haslund@vbiol.slu.se
> Home and postal address:        Ostre Paradisvej 7B,
>                                 DK-2840 HOLTE, Denmark
> Phone home:                     +45  4541 1198