Two other options for generating log messages don't seem to be as well known.

PUTLOG is almost the equivalent of FILE LOG followed by a PUT statement. If you already have an another output file open, PUTLOG lets you keep it open while writing to the log. The statement putlog 'WARNING: this is a warning'; writes a warning message to the log.

ERROR is almost the equivalent of FILE LOG followed by PUT and _error_ = 1 . If you want the word "error" to appear in the log, you must specify it explicitly: error 'ERROR: this is an error'; . If you don't explicitly start the text with ERROR:, it won't get error highlighting in the log.

I say "almost the equivalent" because my recollection is that PUTLOG and ERROR don't have all the power of the regular PUT statement. I don't have any documentation for this, and neither need nor curiosity has compelled me to investigate.

On Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:04:23 -0500, "Richard A. DeVenezia" <rdevenezia@WILDBLUE.NET> said: > Many people know that they can log their own NOTEs and have them color > highlighted in the SAS DMS, or EG log viewer. > > A log line, emitted by macro, that starts with the tag NOTE:, WARNING: or > ERROR: may have the tag replaced with spaces when the text that follows > the > tag starts with dashes, or some spaces followed by some dashes. > > options nosource; > data _null_; > put "NOTE: This is my message. It has special coloring in the log > window."; > put "WARNING: This is my message. It has special coloring in the > log > window."; > put "ERROR: This is my message. It has special coloring in the > log > window."; > run; > > * It should be obvious that the log window renderer is examing the log > contents and applying colors according to its internal rules; > > * The same technique can be used in MACRO via the %put statement; > > %put NOTE: This is my message. It has special coloring in the log > window.; > %put WARNING: This is my message. It has special coloring in the log > window.; > %put ERROR: This is my message. It has special coloring in the log > window.; > > * In some cases I like to sandwich the custom note between dashed lines > to > make it more obvious; > > data _null_; > put "NOTE: -------------------------"; > put "NOTE: This is my message. It has special coloring in the log > window."; > put "NOTE: -------------------------"; > run; > > * The TRIVIA. When this technique is applied from within the macro > environment, the SAS executor will replace the NOTE: text in the lines > with > the dashes with five spaces. > > %put NOTE: -------------------------; > %put NOTE: This is my message. It has special coloring in the log > window.; > %put NOTE: -------------------------; > > The same replacement occurs when doing WARNING or ERROR. > > In some other cases, the sandwich material is replaced with spaces! > Experimentation shows this happens when the 'bread' is an ampersand, or a > macro var containing only macro quoted double quotes or macro quoted > single > quotes. > > %macro logging_check(tag=NOTE, lower=32, upper=127); > %do code = &lower. %to &upper.; > %let char = %qsysfunc(byte(&code.)); > %let string = %sysfunc(repeat(&char.,24)); > > %put %str( ); > %put code=&code.; > %put &tag.: %superq(string); > %put &tag.: This is a message for %superq(char); > %put &tag.: %superq(string); > %end; > %mend; > > %logging_check(lower=32, upper=64); > > * some final experiments; > > %put ------------; > > %put NOTE:-; > %put NOTE:-a; > %put NOTE:-ab; > %put NOTE:-abc; > > %put NOTE: -; > %put NOTE: -a; > %put NOTE: -ab; > %put NOTE: -abc; > > %put NOTE: -; > %put NOTE: -a; > %put NOTE: -ab; > %put NOTE: -abc; > > %put ------------; > > %put NOTE:--; > %put NOTE:--a; > %put NOTE:--ab; > %put NOTE:--abc; > > %put NOTE: --; > %put NOTE: --a; > %put NOTE: --ab; > %put NOTE: --abc; > > %put NOTE: --; > %put NOTE: --a; > %put NOTE: --ab; > %put NOTE: --abc; > > %put ------------; > > -- > Richard A. DeVenezia > http://www.devenezia.com/

-- Jack Hamilton Sacramento, California jfh@alumni.stanford.org