Date:         Tue, 29 Jul 2008 08:20:23 -0400
Reply-To:     Jack Clark <jclark@HILLTOP.UMBC.EDU>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Jack Clark <jclark@HILLTOP.UMBC.EDU>
Subject:      Always ending macro variables with a dot (was tip: Macro Design
              Checklist)
Comments: To: Don Henderson <donaldjhenderson@HOTMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  A<000001c8f16d$3ddd6d30$0401a8c0@8300xpserver>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

I am interested in hearing more user's views on whether it is good
practice to always end macro variables with a dot (.).  I attended Ron
Fehd's presentation at NESUG 2007 and he suggested always ending macro
variables with a dot (.).  Now another expert on SAS-l (Don Henderson)
has suggested the opposite.


Don - can you give some examples where an unnecessary dot at the end of
a macro variable could cause problems?


Thanks,


Jack Clark





Jack Clark
Research Analyst
phone: 410-455-6256
fax: 410-455-6850
jclark@hilltop.umbc.edu

University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Sondheim Hall, 3rd Floor
1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD 21250




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From: SAS(r) Discussion [mailto:SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Don
Henderson
Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2008 7:21 AM
To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: tip: Macro Design Checklist

Roland,

I have to (pretty emphatically) disagree with you on your comment below.
My
rationale can be found at:

http://www.sascommunity.org/wiki/Talk:Macro_Design_Issues_Checklist

By discussing this on the Talk page, a concensus can be reached and the
main
article can be updated as appropriate to present a balanced view of the
differing positions.

I commented as well on the convention to always end a macro variable
reference with a dot (.) - a convention that I find to not be a good
idea in
general.

Regards,
-don h