Date:         Wed, 27 Jun 2001 12:23:39 -0400
Reply-To:     "Dorfman, Paul" <Paul.Dorfman@BCBSFL.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         "Dorfman, Paul" <Paul.Dorfman@BCBSFL.COM>
Subject:      Re: ssn#
Comments: To: "rmarch@sfwmd.gov" <rmarch@sfwmd.gov>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Dick,

I am just curious in which sense _N_ and _ERROR_ are "reserved" if I can
(and do) use both (and _IORC_, too) just as any other numeric variable,
especially when I need a counter I am too lazy to drop. No user manipulation
with _N_ can cause a problem, because it is just am empty can correctly
repopulated at the top of the implicit loop (of course, if it is reached
more than once). the only problem with using _ERROR_ is _all_ printed after
the step if it happens to be different from 0, to which, however, _ERROR_
can always be reset by a user - which is SI themselves recommend to do in
conjunction with _IORC_ testing when necessary. And all three tailed
automatics can be saved in a SAS data set, just like any other variable.
Ones who do not believe it might try this:

4   data a (rename=(n=_n_ i=_iorc_ e=_error_));
5      retain n i 1 e 0 ;
6   run ;
NOTE: The data set USER.A has 1 observations and 3 variables.

The trick served as a base of one of Bob Virgile's wonderful puzzles, for if
you now simply rewrite the file, it will render it variabless (without
special measures similar to above, the tailed autos get dropped from the
output):

7   data a ;
8      set a ;
9   run ;
NOTE: There were 1 observations read from the data set USER.A.
NOTE: The data set USER.B has 1 observations and 0 variables.

To me, a true reserved name is something the compiler will not accept as a
user name. Like, try to name a macro MACRO. Or ask anyone having a COBOL
experience how bothersome a couple of hundred of reserved names can be.

Kind regards,
====================
Paul M. Dorfman
Jacksonville, Fl
====================
From: Dick March [mailto:rmarch@SFWMD.GOV]
Paula, Looking at the on-line help regarding "variable names," it is
stated, ".... Two names (_N_ and _ERROR_) are reserved by the
SAS System."



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