Your macro will resolve at compile time, generating SAS code which will then get executed. The mod function is a data step function that executes at runtime. So you're mixing compile time code (macro) with runtime code (mod), which would causing a timing error even if it did compile.

However, you can achieve what you want using %sysfunc:

%macro foo; %do i=1 %to 10; %put &i %sysfunc(mod(&i,2)); %end; %mend; %foo;

HTH, Scott

P.S.: You may want to post more details of what you're doing in cause some ODS guru suggests an alternative, non-macro approach.

"David Ryerson" <ryersond@YAHOO.COM> wrote in message news:20051212215759.73852.qmail@web60819.mail.yahoo.com... >I have a macro that either does or doesn't start a new > page based on the value of a macro variable. This is > working well to put exactly two tables on every page > but I'm wondering why I can't use the mod function in > my macro. The code that is giving me an error is: > > (ods rtf...) > %macro report; > %do i = 1 %to &dsglobal; > > %if mod(&i,2)=0 %then %do; /*problem*/ > ods rtf startpage=no; > %end; > %else %do; > ods rtf startpage=now; > %end; > (more code) > %mend; > > This returns the error: > > ERROR: Required operator not found in expression: > mod(&i,2)=0 > > > The less elegant code that does work is: > > (ods rtf...) > %macro report; > %do i = 1 %to &dsglobal; > > %if &i=2 or &i=4 or &i=6 or &i=8 %then %do; /*OK*/ > ods rtf startpage=no; > %end; > %else %do; > ods rtf startpage=now; > %end; > (more code) > %mend; > > Am I using the mod function incorrectly? Is there a > reason why I can't use it in macro code as I am? > > As always, any help is much appreciated. > > David Ryerson > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com