Date:         Thu, 7 May 1998 18:00:52 GMT
Reply-To:     Adam Hendricks <adam@BCSFSE.CA.BOEING.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU>
From:         Adam Hendricks <adam@BCSFSE.CA.BOEING.COM>
Organization: SRP II Team
Subject:      Re: %str() vs. %nrstr()
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Public_Access_Machine wrote:
>
> Does anyone know whether using %nrstr(), when you are sure that there is
> no macro resolving to be done inside the brackets, is more efficient
> than using %str()?
>
> I often see %str() in code when it is clear that there is no macro
> resolution needed and it seems to me that you can avoid having the macro
> processor scan the function argument if you use %nrstr().
>
> Does this sound right or is there some complication that I'm missing?
>
> Thanks,
> Stewart Ravenhall
> mailto: s.g.ravenhall@clara.net
> --
> The opinions expressed in this communication are my own,
>   and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.
 
Stewart,
 
  %nrstr and %str will resolve %' %" %( %) to ' " ( ).  But %nrstr will
 
not resolve macros or macrovariables whereas %str will. 100,000 loops
 
through the %nrstr call below took 14 seconds of CPU time compared to 45
 
seconds for 100,000 loops through the %str call on our HP 460 w/
 
HP-UX 10.02.  The difference occurs because %str resolves %test1 and
 
&test2 defined in the code below.  Running the same test on both %str
 
and %nrstr without resolving %test1 and &test2 (i.e. resolving
 
%' %" %( %) only) yielded similar CPU times around 11.5 seconds.  So it
 
is safe to conclude that both are equivilantly efficient within thier
 
intersection of equal functionality (i.e. resolving %' %" %( %) only).
 
 
Code:
 
%macro test1;
  Two words
%mend;
 
%let test2 = Here;
 
%put nrstr: %nrstr(%test1 , = ; %' %" %( %) &test2);
%put str: %str(%test1 , = ; %' %" %( %) &test2);
 
 
Prints to Log:
 
str: Two words , = ; ' " ( ) Here
 
nrstr: %test1 , = ; ' " ( ) &test2
 
 
--
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