Date:         Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:17:36 -0400
Reply-To:     Dave Scocca <dave@SCOCCA.ORG>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Dave Scocca <dave@SCOCCA.ORG>
Subject:      Re: COMPRESS function modifier not working as expected in PROC SQL
Comments: To: Jack Clark <jclark@HILLTOP.UMBC.EDU>
In-Reply-To:  <456B52C41B724C41B96561D7AD283E7DEFE8E0@mail.chpdm.umbc.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

--On 10/24/2008 2:12 PM -0400 Jack Clark wrote:

> When I run it in PROC SQL, an ERROR is generated.
> 754
>
> 755  proc sql;
>
> 756     select compress(x,,"d") as y
>
>                           -
>
>                           22
>
> ERROR 22-322: Syntax error, expecting one of the following: a name, a
> quoted string,
>
>               a numeric constant, a datetime constant, a missing value,
> BTRIM, INPUT, LOWER, PUT,
>
>               SUBSTRING, UPPER, USER.

It looks like the DATA step allows two consecutive commas to represent a
missing parameter, while SQL requires an explicit specification of the
missing parameter between the commas (as . or "").  The following should
work:

   proc sql;
      select compress(x,"","d") as y
      from   test
      ;
     quit;

Dave Scocca