Date:         Thu, 15 Jan 2004 12:16:59 -0800
Reply-To:     "Choate, Paul@DDS" <pchoate@DDS.CA.GOV>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         "Choate, Paul@DDS" <pchoate@DDS.CA.GOV>
Subject:      Re: Assign variables to a new variable based on variable names in
              SAS
Comments: cc: W M <mwx74@HOTMAIL.COM>,
          "Chang Y. Chung" <chang_y_chung@HOTMAIL.COM>

Hi Chang & V -

I'm confused as usual - did you mean this?

142  data one;
143    a_1995q3 = 1;
144    a_1995q4 = 2;
145    a_1997q1 = 3;
146    a_2003q4 = 5;
147    n = "2003q4";
148  run;

NOTE: The data set WORK.ONE has 1 observations and 5 variables.
NOTE: DATA statement used:
      real time           0.01 seconds
      cpu time            0.01 seconds


149
150  data two;
151    set one;
152    call symput('n', n);
153    new_a = 'a_'||resolve(n);
154    put new_a=;
155  run;

new_a=a_2003q4
NOTE: There were 1 observations read from the data set WORK.ONE.
NOTE: The data set WORK.TWO has 1 observations and 6 variables.
NOTE: DATA statement used:
      real time           0.03 seconds
      cpu time            0.03 seconds

???

Paul Choate
DDS Data Extraction
(916) 654-2160

-----Original Message-----
From: Chang Y. Chung [mailto:chang_y_chung@HOTMAIL.COM]
Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2004 12:06 PM
To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: Assign variables to a new variable based on variable names in
SAS

On Thu, 15 Jan 2004 11:02:05 -0800, W M <mwx74@HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:
>I have met the following problem and I need your expert help.
>The variable names in the data set looks like this:
>
>a_1995q3   a_1995q4  a_1997q1 ........... a_2003q4  n

> Is there a way like
>
>new_a=a_{value of n} ?
>
>Because of the compilation of data step, you cannot do
>
>data new; set old;
>call symput("name", n);
>new_a=a_&n; (wrong !)
>run;

Hi, V,

Following up on Paul (Choate)'s idea, this seems to work. This would serve
as an example of putting and resolving a macro variable in a same data
step for a non-trivial purpose.

Cheers,
Chang

<sasl:code>
data one;
  a_1995q3 = 1;
  a_1995q4 = 2;
  a_1997q1 = 3;
  a_2003q4 = 5;
  n = "2003q4";
run;

%macro new_a;a_&n.%mend;
data two;
  set one;
  call symput('n', n);
  new_a = %new_a;
  put new_a=;
run;
/* on log
new_a=5
*/
</sasl:code>