Date:         Mon, 9 Jan 2006 07:31:14 -0800
Reply-To:     Eric Hoogenboom <erichoogenboom@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Eric Hoogenboom <erichoogenboom@YAHOO.COM>
Organization: http://groups.google.com
Subject:      Re: semicolon behind macro calls
Comments: To: sas-l@uga.edu
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Rune,

Sometimes you build macros that generate parts of statements. In that
case, the semicolon may corrupt the code. See example below.

I prefer using the semicolon too, since it enables me to "turn it off "
by placing a * before the macro call.

%macro valdef (value, descr);
   &value = "&descr"
%mend valdef;

proc format;
   value zip %valdef(1000, Amsterdam)
             %valdef(2000, Rotterdam)
             %valdef(3000, Utrecht)
   ;
run;

/* You want errors? Here they are! */

proc format;
   value zip %valdef(1000, Amsterdam);
             %valdef(2000, Rotterdam);
             %valdef(3000, Utrecht);
   ;
run;

Hth,
Eric