"Fehd, Ronald J." <rjf2@CDC.GOV> replied [in part]: > I note that an asterisk comment statement shows up in the SAS log. > THEREFORE in order to keep from writing > I'm-not-using-this-statement-and-I-don't-want-to-see-it-in-the-log > statements I -recommend- using macro+asterisk comments.

However, the coder has to watch out for the traps inherent in the %* comment; choice. What happens when your macro contains this choice tidbit?

%* You have to make this conversion, or you'll ruin the later code. ;

ratio = ratio * &GOLDEN_RATIO. ;

%* Now, aren't you glad you listened to me? ;

Oh yeah. The %* does NOT comment out the effect of single quotes from the macro interpreter. SAS will see this as: %* You have to make this conversion, or you followed by something in single quotes, followed by t you glad you listened to me? ; which it will read as the end of the macro comment.

So your code would NOT make that crucial conversion above. Oops.

Maybe I should send this to Art Carpenter. :-)

David -- David Cassell, CSC Cassell.David@epa.gov Senior computing specialist mathematical statistician