SAS - create macro-name from variable

Question

I am wondering how I can set a macro-name from a variable.

Like this:

    %Macro test(name);
      ... 
      %Macro new_&name;
        ... 
      %Mend;
      ... 
    %Mend test

Or if this is not possible:

    %macro one(name);
       %let mname=&name;
    %mend one;

    %macro two_&name;
      ...
    %mend;

Any ideas? Many thanks.

Answer 1

First thing that pops into my mind is to use a temporary fileref to build your macros. Then include that fileref.

I think this does what you are looking for:

%macro test(x,file);
data _null_;
file &file;
format outStr $2000.;

    outStr = ('%macro test_' || strip("&x") || "();");
    put outStr;
    put '%put hello world;';
    outStr =  '%put Passed in value is x:' || "&x and file: &file;";
    put outStr;
    put "proc means data=sashelp.class(obs=&x) mean; var age; run;";
    put '%mend;';
run;
%include &file;
%mend;

filename tempfile temp;
%test(2,tempfile);
%test_2;

filename tempfile clear;

Answer 2

Yes you can do such a thing:

%macro macroFunc();
    %put hi there;
%mend;
%macro macroCall(macroName);
    %&macroName.();
%mend;
%mcr2(macroFunc);

But I'm really curious in what context this makes sense. Seems like it will in no time result into a coding mess.

Answer 3

I never knew that you could not use a variable in a %MACRO statement...but that appears to be the case. As it says in the SAS documentation (http://support.sas.com/documentation/cdl/en/mcrolref/61885/HTML/default/viewer.htm#macro-stmt.htm) "you cannot use a text expression to generate a macro name in a %MACRO statement."

My next thought was that you might be able to create the %MACRO statement as a variable, but I couldn't find a way to mask %MACRO in the creation of the variable.

I finally figured out a work around, but it is likely not the best way to do this (and it may not work for what you're trying to do). I found that I could compile the macro statement in a data step. Unfortunately though, I could only run the macro from the variable when the entire macro code (from the %MACRO to the %MEND statement) was saved in the variable. See the code below.

%MACRO test(name);
data test;
    *COMPILE MACRO STATEMENT;
    pct=%nrstr('%');
    name="new_&name";
    beginning=pct||'MACRO '||strip(name)||'();';

    *CODE TO BE INSIDE MACRO;
    /*Note: SAS will encounter errors if you try to assign text containing macro 
      functions (e.g., %PUT, %IF, etc.) to a variable. To get around this, you must
      put hide the % in the following syntax, %nrstr('%'), and concatenate/join the 
      syntax with the rest of the string */
    code=pct||'PUT HELLO!;';

    *COMPILE MEND STATEMENT;
    end=pct||'MEND;';

    call symput('MacroStatement',beginning||code||end); *Output var containing macro;
    call symput('Execute',pct||strip(name)||';'); *Output var containing statement to run macro;
    output;
run;

&MacroStatement
&Execute

%MEND;
%test(name1);

Answer 4

options mprint mlogic symbolgen nospool;

%let definition=abc;

%let mdef=macro &definition.;

%&mdef.;
    %put TEST;
%mend;


%abc;