Date:         Tue, 30 Mar 2004 15:53:27 -0500
Reply-To:     Ed Heaton <EdHeaton@WESTAT.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Ed Heaton <EdHeaton@WESTAT.COM>
Subject:      Re: Comments in Macros
Comments: To: "monk@umich.edu" <monk@umich.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain

Daniel,

This code would not work in a macro and similar non-macro code will not work
outside a macro.  The problem is that the %ELSE statement must immediately
follow the end of the %THEN block.  You have a statement between the two,
namely the comment statement.  You can change it to a comment with /* and */
and it will work.

Ed

Edward Heaton, SAS Senior Systems Analyst,
Westat (An Employee-Owned Research Corporation),
1600 Research Boulevard, RW-3541, Rockville, MD 20850-3195
Voice: (301) 610-4818                  Fax: (301) 610-5128
mailto:EdHeaton@Westat.com             http://www.Westat.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Daniel Normolle [mailto:monk@UMICH.EDU]
Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2004 3:25 PM
To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Comments in Macros


Hello,

Is there any reason the following code should not run?
SAS (V8.2 on Red Hat 9) complains to me that the first
%if-%then block is not closed.  Take the comment out,
comment the comment out with /* ... */ or change * to %*
in the comment and it works.  I'm happy to do that, but
I'd like to understand the error of my ways...Thanks!  dpn



%macro badcom;

        %let x=1;
        %if &x=1 %then %do;
            %put This should print;
            %end;

*------This comment is the problem;

        %else %do;
            %put This should not;
            %end;

        %mend badcom;

%badcom