Date:         Tue, 14 Oct 2003 14:59:47 -0400
Reply-To:     Howard Schreier <Howard_Schreier@ITA.DOC.GOV>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Howard Schreier <Howard_Schreier@ITA.DOC.GOV>
Subject:      Re: macro variable not resolving

As others have pointed out, there is no macro named "num_records". There is
a macrovariable having that name. So change the percent sign (%) to an
ampersand (&) and declare the macrovariable global.

Also, you should be aware that the construct

   if 0 then do; ... end;

will never be executed, since the condition is a constant which evaluates
to FALSE. Sometimes people code things like this solely for the sake of
compile-time effects, but I see no such purpose here.

On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 02:36:49 -0700, Rune Runnestoe <rune@FASTLANE.NO> wrote:

>What is wrong with this code:
>
>proc sql;
>        create table my_table as
>                select name
>                from sashelp.class
>                where name = "Alfred";
>run;
>
>%macro number_of_records;
>        data _null_;
>                %let num_records = 0;
>                set my_table nobs=nn  end=last_record;
>                if 0 then
>                        do;
>                                call symput('num_records', put(nn, best.));
>                        end;
>                else if last_record then
>                        do;
>                             call symput('num_records', trim(left(_n_)));
>                        end;
>        run;
>
>%mend;
>%number_of_records;
>%put The number of records is: %num_records;
>
>
>I get the this error message in the log:
>
>13747  %put The number of records is: %num_records;
>WARNING: Apparent invocation of macro NUM_RECORDS not resolved.
>The number of records is: %num_records
>
>
>
>It seems to me like the macro variable NUM_RECORDS is not resolved,
>and when I reference it further in the program, I get error messages.
>
>
>Regards
>
>Rune Runnestoe