I will take the position that NO macro code is needed and that all of this can be done with data steps and/or procs. Based on my observation it looks like you are converting some character strings to numbers for a list of variables and that each variable has an associated format. I used an informat in the example because it is a more direct. If you would like to provide a bit more information I think you can find a nice none macro solution.

proc format; invalue abseqD(upcase just) 'A'=1 'B'=2; invalue adjsz2D(upcase just) 'C'=3 'D'=4; invalue dratioD(upcase just) 'E'=5 'F'=6; invalue mc044eD(upcase just) 'G'=7 'H'=8; run;

data work.test; array _y[*] abseq adjsz2 dratio mc044e; informat abseq abseqD. adjsz2 adjsz2D. dratio dratioD. mc044e mc044eD.; input _y[*]; cards; a c e g b d f H ;;;; run; proc print; run;

On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 9:18 AM, Rushi Patel <rushi_patel@freddiemac.com> wrote: > Hello SAS-L, > > We have coded two macros using different designs (refered in this email as > design 1 and design 2) that get us what we want. Design 1 runs about 6 > times faster than design 2. Out of curiousity, I am trying to understand > why this happens and would appreciate any insights from the group on this. > > Objective of the macro is to dynamically generate the statements similar > to what are listed below, based on a list of variables provided to the > macro. > > ABSEQPNT = INPUT(PUT(ABSEQ,ABSEQD.),8.); > ADJSZ2PNT = INPUT(PUT(ADJSZ2,ADJSZ2D.),8.); > DRATIOPNT = INPUT(PUT(DRATIO,DRATIOD.),8.); > MC044EPNT = INPUT(PUT(MC044E,MC044ED.),8.); > ..... > ...... > ..... > > The points generated above - ABSEQPNT, ADJSZ2PNT, DRATIOPNT, MC044EPNT etc > - are added up to get a score. > > Design 1 - > > I have coded a macro %XXXN(VAR=&VARNDFT) that generates the above > statements based on what we have in the macro variable "VARNDFT". > > %MACRO XXXN ( VAR = ) ; > %GLOBAL DEFN ; > %LOCAL I STEP CODE ; > %LET CODE = ; > %LET DEFN = ; > %LET I = 1 ; > %LET STEP = %SCAN(&VAR,&I) ; > %DO %WHILE (%LENGTH(&STEP) > 0 ) ; > > %LET CODE = &CODE &STEP.PNT %STR(=) > INPUT(PUT(&STEP,&STEP.D.),8.)%STR(;); > %LET DEFN = &DEFN &STEP.PNT ; > > %LET I = %EVAL(&I + 1 ) ; > %LET STEP = %SCAN(&VAR,&I) ; > > %END ; > > &CODE > > %MEND XXXN ; > > The macro variable "CODE" stores the actual code - ABSEQPNT = > INPUT(PUT(ABSEQ,ABSEQD.),8.) ; ..and when executed, will dump all this > code in the data step within which its called. > The macro variable "DEFN" stores a string - ABSEQPNT ADJSZ2PNT ...... - > that is used outside the macro in the SUM function to sum up all the > points and get a score. > > Design 2 - > > The other design that another programmer came up with includes the > following macro. This macro is called within a data step and it also > generates the statements outlined in the objectives (see above) within the > datastep. > > Macro variable CNTNDFT stores the "number of variables" for which the code > is to be generated. > Macro variable VARPNDFT stores the ABSEQPNT etc variables list, which is > created outside of the macro. > Macro variable VARNDFT stores the list of variables ABSEQ etc for which > the ABSEQPNT variables are defined. > > %MACRO SCRCARDS; > > %DO I=1 %TO &CNTCDFT; > > %SCAN(&VARNPDFT,&I) = > INPUT(PUTN(%SCAN(&VARNDFT,&I), > PUT("%SCAN(&VARNDFT,&I)",%STR($)NFMTD.)),8.); > %END; > > ( The difference between Design 1 and design 2 is the layers of input and > put statements used in this step. Here there is an addition layer of input > / put functions used compared to design 1. This will increase the > processing time a little, for each observation. But is a 6 fold increase > justified simply by this difference? > ) > > DEFSCR = SUM(OF %DO I=1 %TO &CNTCDFT; > %SCAN(&VARCPDFT,&I) > %END; > , > OF %DO I=1 %TO &CNTNDFT; > %SCAN(&VARNPDFT,&I) > %END; > ); > > %MEND SCRCARDS ; > > Design 1 is significantly (about 6 times less CPU time for the data step - > on about 500,000 obs - in which these macros as called) faster. SAS on MVS > TSO platform used. > > My apologizes for a lengthy email and not providing any test data. > > Thanks in advance. > > Rushi >