Date:         Fri, 20 Jun 2003 15:26:05 -0400
Reply-To:     "Fehd, Ronald J. (PHPPO)" <rjf2@CDC.GOV>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         "Fehd, Ronald J. (PHPPO)" <rjf2@CDC.GOV>
Subject:      suggest: SOURCE3 returns path of macro like SOURCE2 for %include
Comments: To: SASware ballot <suggest@sas.com>
Content-Type: text/plain

just as one can turn on
options source2;
and learn the file specification of an %included file
how about doing the same for file specification of a macro?
either add that functionality to source2
or perhaps
options source3;
but then the homonym two==too wouldn't work.
upon first call of a macro with this option
the log would say something like:
33   macro A_Name;
NOTE: macro A_Name is in file C:\Program Files\SAS\ProjA\pgm\a_name.sas.
or appropriate message about it being in the macro catalog, etc.

e-mail your SAS improvements to: suggest@sas.com
Ron Fehd  the macro maven  CDC Atlanta GA USA RJF2@cdc.gov

> From: SAS User [mailto:sasuser@GUILDENSTERN.DYNDNS.ORG]
> on Fri, Jun 20, 2003 at 11:23:33AM -0400, Ian Whitlock
> (WHITLOI1@WESTAT.COM) wrote:
> > Jennifer,
> >
> > The %INCLUDE people want the convenience of knowing precisely where
> > the code is coming from by reading the program code.  The autocall
> > people view macros as the building blocks of programs and want the
> > convenience of setting up the system to handle code management
> > problems.  Both have a good point.
>
> As part of your SAS configuration's autoexec.sas, a 'proc
> options' statement will provide all system options at startup
> in your log.  This can help narrow the alternatives for code sources.
>
> > This does suggest that SAS should provide a tool to
> > document where a macro comes from.
>
> I'm afraid Ian is confusing "SAS users" with "programmers", a
> mistake the Institute never makes.