Date:         Mon, 19 May 2008 05:46:37 -0700
Reply-To:     Laptop765@GMAIL.COM
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Laptop765@GMAIL.COM
Organization: http://groups.google.com
Subject:      Re: Nested Data Accesses?
Comments: To: sas-l@uga.edu
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions.  I have not had a chance to
try implementing anything yet as I just got in for the day.  We have
data in two files.  One file is the new records the other file are
existing records.  There is a field to match the two on.  If a match
is made, then another field is copied over (our unique identifier).
If not, then I must calculate a new unique identifier based on some
criteria of already assigned ones.  Creating the unique identifier is
where the current trouble is and where I had to write the macro.  When
I'm looking at one of the unmatched records, I need to figure out what
the new id should be.  The ID has 3 fields, the first of which is the
year.  The next one is specific to part of the data (i.e. all data
fields that match on a certain field should share this value) and the
third one just increments as matches are made on the second one.  Once
the third one overflows, the next lowest unused number for the second
one should be used as the new set.

I got around the scope issue by declaring the variables outside of the
macro to make them global.

I'll take a more serious look at your suggestions now that I'm back at
the computer and see where they get me, thank you all very much for
the help.