Squillace Erros

WHY DOES SAS® SAY THAT?
WHAT COMMON DATA STEP AND

MACRO MESSAGES ARE TRYING
TO TELL YOU
CHARLEY MULLIN AND KEVIN RUSSELL
SAS INSTITUTE INC., CARY, NC USA
PRESENTED BY JAN SQUILLACE
Company Confidential - For Internal Use Only

Copyright © 2013, SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved.
TODAY YOU WILL LEARN TO…
• Better
understand the SAS log
• Debug your code more easily
• Work more efficiently

FIRST, LET’S DISCUSS THE DATA STEP
The benefits of DATA step:

• Gives you the ability to read external files
into SAS data sets
• Enables you to manipulate data into a more
usable form
• Enables you combine data from various
sources
• And more…

IN THE SAS LOG, YOU WILL ENCOUNTER:
• Notes
• Warnings
• Errors

APPLYING A NUMERIC FORMAT TO A
CHARACTER VARIABLE

APPLYING A NUMERIC FORMAT TO A CHARACTER VARIABLE
Input var1 var2 var3 var4 $ var5 $;

Format var4 mmddyy8.;
2681 format var4 mmddyy8.;

--------
48
ERROR 48-59: The format $MMDDYY was not found
or could not be loaded.

VARIABLES WITH MULTIPLE DEFINITIONS

VARIABLES WITH MULTIPLE DEFINITIONS
ERROR: Variable VAR1 has been defined as both character and numeric.
data one; data two;

input var1 $ var2; input var1 var2;
datalines; datalines;
1 2 3 4
; ;
run; run;
data three;
merge one two;
by var1 var2;
run;

VARIABLES WITH MULTIPLE DEFINITIONS (CONTINUED)
ERROR: Variable VAR1 has been defined as both character and numeric.
data one;
set one(rename=(var1=temp));
var1=input(temp,??8.);
drop temp;
run;
data two;
set two(rename=(var1=temp));
var1=put(temp,8.);
drop temp;
run;

INPUT TO CONCATENATION FUNCTIONS

INPUT TO CONCATENATION FUNCTIONS
NOTE: Argument 1 to function CATS at line N column X is invalid.

NOTE: Further warning from this call to CATS will be suppressed.
WARNING: In a call to the CATS function, the buffer allocated for the
result was not long enough to contain the concatenation of all
the arguments. The correct result would contain 1040
characters, but the actual result may either be truncated to
200 character(s) or be completely blank, depending on the
calling environment. The following note indicates the left-most
argument that caused truncation.
NOTE: Argument 1 to function CATS at line N column 6 is invalid.

INPUT TO CONCATENATION FUNCTIONS (CONTINUED)
data final;
merge group1(rename=(results=r1))
group2(rename=(results=r2))
group3(rename=(results=r3));
results=cats(r1,r2,r3);
run;
data final;
merge group1(rename=(results=r1))
group2(rename=(results=r2))
group3(rename=(results=r3));
length results $ 1040;
results=cats(r1,r2,r3);
run;

ARGUMENTS TO THE FUNCTION SUBSTR

ARGUMENTS TO THE FUNCTION SUBSTR
• NOTE:Invalid second argument to function

SUBSTR at line N column X.
• NOTE:Invalid third argument to function

SUBSTR at line N column X.

ARGUMENTS TO THE FUNCTION SUBSTR (CONTINUED)
In typical usage, the three arguments to the

SUBSTR function are:
• The name of the variable from which to
extract characters
• The position in the variable to start
extracting characters
• The number of characters to extract

NOTE: Invalid second argument to function SUBSTR at line N column X.
data lab_work;
infile datalines truncover;
input raw $char20.;
machine=substr(strip(raw),1,4);
test_id=substr(strip(raw),6,4);
results=substr(strip(raw),11,4);
datalines;
1234 5678
1234 5678 9012
;
run;

NOTE: Invalid second argument to function SUBSTR at line N column

X.
data lab_work;
infile datalines truncover;
input raw $char20.;
machine=substr(left(raw),1,4);
test_id=substr(left(raw),6,4);
results=substr(left(raw),11,4);
datalines;
1234 5678
1234 5678 9012
;
run;

NOTE: Invalid third argument to function SUBSTR at line N column X.
data test;
date=‘24/04/2012’;
year=substr(date,7,10);
run;
data test;
date=‘24/04/2012’;
year=substr(date,7,4);
run;

AUTOMATIC VARIABLE TYPE CONVERSIONS

AUTOMATIC VARIABLE TYPE CONVERSIONS
• NOTE: Numeric values have been

converted to character values at the places
given by: (Line):(Column).
• NOTE: Character values have been
converted to numeric values at the places
given by: (Line):(Column).

AUTOMATIC VARIABLE TYPE CONVERSIONS (CONTINUED)
NOTE: Numeric values have been converted to character values at the

places given by: (Line):(Column)
data test; The SAS System

ssn=111223333;
first_three=substr(ssn,1,3); first_
run; Obs ssn three
1 111223333
proc print data=test;

run;

AUTOMATIC VARIABLE TYPE CONVERSIONS (CONTINUED)
NOTE: Numeric values have been converted to character values at the

places given by: (Line):(Column)
The SAS System

data test;
ssn=111223333;
first_
first_three=substr(put(ssn,z9.),1,3);
Obs ssn three
run;
1 111223333 111
proc print data=test;

run;

UNINITIALIZED VARIABLE

UNINITIALIZED VARIABLE
NOTE: Variable FEMELE is uninitialized.
data two;
set one;
if sex=1 then gender=Femele;
run;

UNINITIALIZED VARIABLE (CONTINUED)
SAS Log:
3652 data two;

3653 set one;
3654 if sex=1 then gender=Femele;
3655 run;
NOTE: Variable Femele is uninitialized.

UNINITIALIZED VARIABLE (CONTINUED)
Correct syntax:
data two;
set one;
if sex=1 then gender=‘Female’;
run;

USING A FUNCTION NAME AS AN ARRAY NAME

USING A FUNCTION NAME AS AN ARRAY NAME
NOTE: The array <name> has the same

name as a SAS-supplied or user-defined
function. Parentheses following this name
are treated as array references and not
function references.

USING A FUNCTION NAME AS AN ARRAY NAME (CONTINUED)
SAS log:
43 data test;
44 array max(3) max1-max3 (80 90 70);
NOTE: The array max has the same name as a SAS-supplied or
user-defined function. Parentheses following this name are
treated as array references and not function references.
45 max_value=max(of max(*));
ERROR: Too many array subscripts specified for array max.

46 run;
NOTE: The SAS System stopped processing this step because
of errors.

USING A FUNCTION NAME AS AN ARRAY NAME (CONTINUED)
data test;
array max(3) max1-max3 (80 90 70);
max_value=max(of max(*));
run;
data test;
array maxx(3) max1-max3 (80 90 70);
max_value=max(of maxx(*));
run;

THE MACRO FACILITY

NOW LET’S DISCUSS THE MACRO FACILITY
The macro facility allows you to extend

and customize your code and reduce
the amount of text you must enter.

WHEN USING THE MACRO FACILITY, USE THESE SYSTEM OPTIONS:
• SYMBOLGEN
• MPRINT
• MLOGIC

MASKING SPECIAL CHARACTERS

MASKING SPECIAL CHARACTERS
ERROR: Macro function %substr has too many arguments. The

excess arguments will be ignored.
%let x=a,b,c;
%let y=%substr(&x,1,1);
%put &=y;
%let x=a,b,c;
%let y=%substr(a,b,c,1,1);
%put &=y;

MASKING SPECIAL CHARACTERS (CONTINUED)
Complete error in the SAS log:

189 %let x=a,b,c;
190 %let y=%substr(&x,1,1);
SYMBOLGEN: Macro variable X resolves to a,b,c
ERROR: Macro function %SUBSTR has too many arguments.

The excess arguments will be ignored.
ERROR: A character operand was found in the %EVAL function or
%IF condition where a numeric operand is required.
The condition was: b
ERROR: Argument 2 to macro function %SUBSTR is not a number.
ERROR: A character operand was found in the %EVAL function or
%IF condition where a numeric operand is required.
The condition was: c
ERROR: Argument 3 to macro function %SUBSTR is not a number.
191 %put &=y;

&=y

MASKING SPECIAL CHARACTERS (CONTINUED)
Corrected code:
%let x=a,b,c;
%let y=%substr(%bquote(&x),1,1);
%put &=y;
This syntax is new for SAS 9.3

AUTOCALL MACROS USED AS MACRO FUNCTIONS

AUTOCALL MACROS USED AS MACRO FUNCTIONS
• %CMPRES and %QCMPRES

• %COMPSTOR
• %DATATYP
• %KVERIFY
• %LEFT and %QLEFT
• %LOWCASE and %QLOWCASE
• %TRIM and %QTRIM
• %VERIFY

AUTOCALL MACROS USED AS MACRO FUNCTIONS (CONTINUED)
Example that illustrates a problem:
options mautosource sasautos=(‘c:\mymacs’);
%let x=%str(abc );
%let y=%trim(&x);

SAS log:
3 options mautosource sasautos=('c:\mymacs');

4 %let x=%str(abc );
5 %let y=%trim(&x);
WARNING: Apparent invocation of macro TRIM not
resolved.

Correct setting for the SASAUTOS system

option:
options mautosource sasautos=(sasautos, 'c:\mymacs');

%let x=%str(abc );
%let y=%trim(&x);

USING MACRO VARIABLES IN FILENAMES

USING MACRO VARIABLES IN FILENAMES
ERROR: Physical file does not exist, c:\class2011csv.
%let year=2011;
proc import
datafile="C:\class&year.csv"
dbms=csv
out=myclass
replace;
getnames=yes;
run;

USING MACRO VARIABLES IN FILENAMES (CONTINUED)
datafile=“c:\class2011csv”;

USING MACRO VARIABLES IN FILENAMES (CONTINUED)
Here is the correct syntax:
%let year=2011;
proc import datafile=“C:\class&year..csv”
dbms=csv
out=myclass
replace;
getnames=yes;
run;

REFERENCING STORED COMPILED MACROS

REFERENCING STORED COMPILED MACROS
ERROR: A LOCK IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR LIBREF.SASMACR.CATALOG.

REFERENCING STORED COMPILED MACROS (CONTINUED)
ERROR: A lock is not available for MYMACS.SASMACR.CATALOG.
libname mymacs ‘C:\macros’;

options mstored sasmstore=mymacs;
%macro test / store;
<code>;
%mend test;
%test

SAS log:
NOTE: The SAS System was unable to open the
macro library referenced by the
SASMSTORE = libref MYMACS.
ERROR: A lock is not available for

MYMACS.SASMACR.CATALOG.
ERROR: A dummy macro will be compiled.


INVOKING A MACRO WITH PARAMETERS

INVOKING A MACRO WITH PARAMETERS
Error: More positional parameters found than

defined.
%macro test(vals);
%put &=vals;
%mend test;
%test(x,y,z)

INVOKING A MACRO WITH PARAMETERS (CONTINUED)
SAS log:
19 %macro test(vals);
20 %put &=vals;
21 %mend test;
22 %test(x,y,z)
MLOGIC(TEST): Beginning execution.
MLOGIC(TEST): Parameter VALS has value x
ERROR: More positional parameters found than
defined.
MLOGIC(TEST): Ending execution.

INVOKING A MACRO WITH PARAMETERS (CONTINUED)
Corrected code:
%macro test(vals);
%put &=vals;
%mend test;
%test(%str(x,y,z))

REVIEW
• Variables with multiple definitions

• Concatenation function arguments
• Arguments to SUBSTR function
• Automatic variable type conversion
• Uninitialized variables
• Function name conflict with array name
• Macro debugging options SYMBOLGEN MPRINT MLOGIC
• Autocall macros used as macro functions
• SASAUTOS system option conflicts
• Macro variables used in filenames
• Stored compiled macros
• Macro parameters

Paper 248-2012
Why Does SAS® Say That? What Common DATA Step and Macro
Messages Are Trying to Tell You
Email: Support@SAS.com
(919) 677-8008
http://support.sas.com/techsup
http://support.sas.com/resources


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WHY DOES SAS® SAY THAT?

WHAT COMMON DATA STEP AND

Company Confidential - For Internal Use Only

Company Confidential - For Internal Use Only

The benefits of DATA step:

Company Confidential - For Internal Use Only

Company Confidential - For Internal Use Only

Company Confidential - For Internal Use Only

Input var1 var2 var3 var4 $ var5 $;

2681 format var4 mmddyy8.;

Company Confidential - For Internal Use Only

Company Confidential - For Internal Use Only

data one; data two;

Company Confidential - For Internal Use Only

Company Confidential - For Internal Use Only

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NOTE: Argument 1 to function CATS at line N column X is invalid.

NOTE: Argument 1 to function CATS at line N column 6 is invalid.

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• NOTE:Invalid second argument to function

• NOTE:Invalid third argument to function

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In typical usage, the three arguments to the

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NOTE: Invalid second argument to function SUBSTR at line N column X.

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NOTE: Invalid second argument to function SUBSTR at line N column

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NOTE: Invalid third argument to function SUBSTR at line N column X.

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• NOTE: Numeric values have been

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NOTE: Numeric values have been converted to character values at the

data test; The SAS System

proc print data=test;

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NOTE: Numeric values have been converted to character values at the

The SAS System

proc print data=test;

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NOTE: Variable FEMELE is uninitialized.

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3652 data two;

NOTE: Variable Femele is uninitialized.

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NOTE: The array <name> has the same

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ERROR: Too many array subscripts specified for array max.

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The macro facility allows you to extend

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