SAS Macro Language: Reference

Macro Statements

A macro language statement instructs the macro processor to perform an operation. It consists of a string of keywords, SAS names, and special characters and operators, and it ends in a semicolon. Some macro language statements are allowed only in macro definitions, but you can use others anywhere in a SAS session or job, either inside or outside macro definitions (referred to as open code). Macro Language Statements Allowed in Macro Definitions and Open Code lists macro language statements that you can use in both macro definitions and open code.

Macro Language Statements Allowed in Macro Definitions and Open Code
Statement Description

%* comment designates comment text

%DISPLAY displays a macro window

%GLOBAL creates macaro variables that are available during the execution of an entire SAS session

%INPUT supplies values to macro variables during macro execution

%KEYDEF assigns a definition to or identifes the definition of a function key

%LET creates a macro variable and assigns it a value

%MACRO begins a macro definition

%PUT writes text or the values of macro variables to the SAS log

%SYSCALL invokes a SAS call routine

%SYSEXEC issues operating system commands

%SYSLPUT defines a new macro variable or modifies the value of an existing macro variable on a remote host or server

%SYSRPUT assigns the value of a macro variable on a remote host to a macro variable on the local host

%WINDOW defines customized windows

***Macro Language Statements Allowed in Macro Definitions and Open Code***
Statement	Description
%* comment	designates comment text
%DISPLAY	displays a macro window
%GLOBAL	creates macaro variables that are available during the execution of an entire SAS session
%INPUT	supplies values to macro variables during macro execution
%KEYDEF	assigns a definition to or identifes the definition of a function key
%LET	creates a macro variable and assigns it a value
%MACRO	begins a macro definition
%PUT	writes text or the values of macro variables to the SAS log
%SYSCALL	invokes a SAS call routine
%SYSEXEC	issues operating system commands
%SYSLPUT	defines a new macro variable or modifies the value of an existing macro variable on a remote host or server
%SYSRPUT	assigns the value of a macro variable on a remote host to a macro variable on the local host
%WINDOW	defines customized windows

Macro Language Statements Allowed in Macro Definitions Only lists macro language statements that you can use only in macro definitions.

Macro Language Statements Allowed in Macro Definitions Only
Statement Description

%DO begins a %DO group

%DO, Iterative executes statements repetitively, based on the value of an index variable

%DO %UNTIL executes statements repetively unti la condition is true

%DO %WHILE executes statements repetitively while a condition is true

%END ends a %DO group

%GOTO branches macro processing to the specified label

%IF-%THEN/%ELSE conditionally processes a portion of a macro

%label: identifies the destination of a %GOTO statement

%LOCAL creates macro variable that are available only during the execution of the macro where they are defined

%MEND ends a macaro definition

***Macro Language Statements Allowed in Macro Definitions Only***
Statement	Description
%DO	begins a %DO group
%DO, Iterative	executes statements repetitively, based on the value of an index variable
%DO %UNTIL	executes statements repetively unti la condition is true
%DO %WHILE	executes statements repetitively while a condition is true
%END	ends a %DO group
%GOTO	branches macro processing to the specified label
%IF-%THEN/%ELSE	conditionally processes a portion of a macro
%label:	identifies the destination of a %GOTO statement
%LOCAL	creates macro variable that are available only during the execution of the macro where they are defined
%MEND	ends a macaro definition

Statements That Perform Automatic Evaluation

Some macro statements perform an operation based on an evaluation of an arithmetic or logical expression. They perform the evaluation by automatically calling the %EVAL function. If you get an error message about a problem with %EVAL when a macro does not use %EVAL explicitly, check for one of these statements. The macro statements that perform automatic evaluation are:

%DO macro-variable=expression %TO expression <%BY expression>;

%DO %UNTIL(expression);

%DO %WHILE(expression);

%IF expression %THEN action;

For details on operands and operators in expressions, see Chapter 6, "Macro Expressions."

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