Date:         Thu, 11 May 2000 16:50:35 -0400
Reply-To:     "Walke, Lee" <WalkeLee@PRAINTL.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         "Walke, Lee" <WalkeLee@PRAINTL.COM>
Subject:      Unusual, sporadic resolution of '%'
Comments: To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.VT.EDU
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Good Folks,

I have some recent, and unusual things happening to what had been working
SAS code.

We have several NT servers on which we can choose to run SAS jobs remotely,
via SAS Connect.  As the bandwidth to our data is larger between the NT
servers and our file servers, this is usually the most efficient method of
getting things done.  We submit an autoexec program remotely, and then
remotely submit SAS code to the same server.  The subsequent programs depend
upon the definitions established in the autoexec.  We sometimes submit
several different SAS programs, all using the same options defined in the
autoexec.

In the past few days, though, the first percent sign that SAS finds after
the autoexec runs is not being recognized.  Generally, the code will start
with '%let progname='

In the log file, we'll get about 200 blank lines, and an unresolved symbolic
reference, or some other catastrophe related to the ignored percent sign.
We've even found that percents within quoted strings are treated the same
way.  Subsequent percents (after the first) are resolved correctly.

Here's the kicker though:  If we submit the same code locally, everything
works just fine.  If we submit the code using a VB script from Ultra Edit,
it works fine.  Essentially, the VB script does exactly what we do via the
SAS editor, which is even more puzzling.

I would understand if the VB script method bombed, given our recent bout
with the love bug. But the opposite is happening.

I suspect that something with SAS connect was recently hosed, but for the
life of me, I can't find what it is.

Have any of you had a similar experience?

Thanks,
Lee

Lee Walke
Manager, Analysis Programming
PRA International
4105 Lewis and Clark Drive
Charlottesville, VA 22911-5801 USA
WalkeLee@PRAIntl.com
(804) 951-3208 (direct)
(804) 951-3001 (fax)