Date:         Fri, 31 May 2002 12:52:31 +0200
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 w/ Special Characters
Comments: To: Wing <wstsui@IRD.GOV.HK>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Hi Wing,

By applying quoting functions like %NRSTR, %NRQUOTE, %NRBQUOTE:

%LET Desc = %NRBQUOTE(ABC"D・E);
%PUT Desc = &Desc;
%PUT Desc = %UNQUOTE(&Desc);

or:

%LET Desc = %NRQUOTE(ABC%"D・E); %* Note percent sign before double quote;
%PUT Desc = &Desc;
%PUT Desc = %UNQUOTE(&Desc);

Refer to as %UNQUOTE(&Desc) in data step, e.g. a character value or variable
label within double quotes. But here, with an embedded double quote this is
not possible, or you should take take to embed two double quotes, or:

1          %LET Desc = %NRBQUOTE(ABC"D・E);
2          %PUT Desc = &Desc;
Desc = ABC"D・E
3          %*PUT Desc = %UNQUOTE(&Desc);
4
5          DATA _NULL_;
6          * Value = "%UNQUOTE(&Desc)";
7            Value = "&Desc";
8            PUT Value;
9          RUN;

ABC"D・E
NOTE: The DATA statement used 0.5 seconds.

Regards - Jim.
--
Y. (Jim) Groeneveld, MSc    IMRO TRAMARKO         tel. +31 412 407 070
senior statist./data man.   P.O. Box 1            fax. +31 412 407 080
J.Groeneveld@ITGroups.com   5350 AA BERGHEM, NL   www.imrotramarko.com

Computers aren't there to be kept busy, but to keep us busy.

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> -----Original Message-----
> From: Wing [SMTP:wstsui@IRD.GOV.HK]
> Sent: Friday, May 31, 2002 12:25 PM
> To:   SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject:      Macro Variable w/ Special Characters
>
> Dear All,
>
> Please help.
>
> How can I make use of a macro variable which contains special characters
> (such as ' " ; & %)?
>
> I have a macro variable, &DESC1, having the value, say, ABC"D・E.
> And I'd like to assign this macro variable to a dataset variable within a
> data-step.  How can I achieve it?
>
> Please help!
>
> Thanks a lot.
>
> Wing.