Date:         Wed, 30 Oct 2002 10:27:22 -0500
Reply-To:     "Fehd, Ronald J. (PHPPO)" <rjf2@CDC.GOV>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         "Fehd, Ronald J. (PHPPO)" <rjf2@CDC.GOV>
Subject:      Re: into: seperated by syntax
Comments: cc: "Goldman, Brad (AT-Atlanta)" <Brad.Goldman@AUTOTRADER.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain

> From: Goldman, Brad (AT-Atlanta) [mailto:Brad.Goldman@AUTOTRADER.COM]
> Consider the following from the SAS online docs:
> proc sql;
>    select distinct quote(style)
>       into :types separated by ', '
>       from sasuser.houses;
>
> Anyone know if there is a way to prepend/append the &types
> macro variable created within this SQL step?  For example, I
> might want the final string not to be CONDO, RANCH, SPLIT,
> TWOSTORY, but Houselist: 'CONDO, RANCH, SPLIT, TWOSTORY done'
>  I can't find any reference to it... but sometimes docs do
> not tell all.

you can add pre- or ap-pend text to each value you're selecting

select 'prepend text' !! distinct quote(style)
            'append text'

> proc sql;
>    select distinct quote(style)
>       into :types separated by ', '
>       from sasuser.houses;
        ;quit;
%LET TYPES = Houselist: &TYPES. done;
Will this not do what you want?

> If there is a not a way, does anyone agree with me that it
> would be nice to have?  For example, you could say:
>
> proc sql;
>    select distinct quote(style)
>       into :types separated by ', ' beginning with
> "Houselist: '" ending with " done'"
>       from sasuser.houses;

%let the macro language do what it does well;
%let's not mess with SQL syntax

Ron Fehd  the SQL into:macro maven  CDC Atlanta GA USA RJF2@cdc.gov

By using your intelligence
you can sometimes make your problems twice as complicated.
-- Ashleigh Brilliant