Date:         Thu, 2 Mar 2000 16:55:08 -0500
Reply-To:     DOUG CONRAD <dconrad@CICINFO.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         DOUG CONRAD <dconrad@CICINFO.COM>
Subject:      -thanks -- Can a macro return a value ?
Comments: To: SAS List <sas-l@uga.cc.uga.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

I got what I needed.

-----Original Message-----
From: WHITLOI1@westat.com [mailto:WHITLOI1@westat.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2000 4:43 PM
To: DOUG CONRAD
Subject: Re:Can a macro return a value ?


Doug,

Yes.

%macro Nobs ( data = ) ;
   %local d_open getnobs d_close ;
   %let d_open  =%sysfunc(open(&data));
   %let getnobs =%sysfunc(attrn(&d_open,any));
   %let d_close =%sysfunc(close(&d_open));
   &getnobs
%mend  Nobs ;

You could use it in

     %if %nobs(data=...) >= 1 %then
     %do ;
        .......
     %end ;

Ian Whitlock <whitloi1@westat.com>

____________________Reply Separator____________________
Subject:    Can a macro return a value ?
Author: DOUG CONRAD <dconrad@CICINFO.COM>
Date:       3/2/2000 4:20 PM

can a macro return a value similar to a function?
For example I would like to test the value of the # of obs in a data set but
would like to reference it such as:


 %if  %getvalue =1 %then %do:
  etc; etc;
%end;

Currently I issue a series of %LET statements to do the same:
 %let d_open  =%sysfunc(open(filex));
 %let getnobs =%sysfunc(attrn(&d_open,any));
 %let d_close =%sysfunc(close(&d_open));

***** and then get the value returned from a %let statement:
 %if &getnobs =1 %then %do;
      etc etc;
 %end;


I would like to have the  '%getvalue' macro return a value (1 0 -1 and such)
that I evaluate after the macro has been evaluated.
(basically, I'm looking for more portability among the various components of
the program I am writing)

Thanks all.