Seems like the easy solution would be option SERROR. But I don't know how that "fits in" with the EG code generator.

961 options serror=0; 962 PROC FORMAT LIB=WORK; 963 VALUE $tmp "p&p" = "Post and Packing"; NOTE: Format $TMP has been output. 964 run;

NOTE: PROCEDURE FORMAT used (Total process time): real time 0.01 seconds cpu time 0.00 seconds

965 options serror=1;

On Fri, Feb 11, 2011 at 11:08 AM, DUELL, BOB (ATTCINW) <BD9439@att.com> wrote: > No, using "p&&p" would not work. > > The Enterprise Guide feature Andy is describing is a "code generator" > for PROC FORMAT. The user is presented a "form" into which he types a > format RANGE and a LABEL. The format range must match exactly what his > data looks like (in this case, a three-character string "p&p" without > the quotes). > > So, the form looks like this (values to the right typed by the user): > > LABEL: Post and Packing > RANGE: p&p > > EG generates the following code (WORK library and $tmp names were also > on the form): > > PROC FORMAT LIB=WORK; > VALUE $tmp > "p&p" = "Post and Packing"; > RUN; > > The problem is that because the strings are enclosed in double-quotes, > they get scanned by the macro processor. In this case, it sees what it > thinks is a macro variable "p" and attempts to insert that value into > the string. > > Note that the only reason he got a warning was because the macro > variable "p" did not already exist. But if it HAD existed, SAS would > have happily done the symbol substitution without any warning. That > would certainly have not been what was wanted and could have created an > error extremely hard to diagnose. > > The more I think about it the more hesitant I am to use the code > generating aspects of EG, unless one can save all the code and manually > edit it somehow. But I'm just getting started with EG myself (old dog, > new trick). > > Bob > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Bolotin Yevgeniy [mailto:YBolotin@schools.nyc.gov] > Sent: Friday, February 11, 2011 8:38 AM > To: DUELL, BOB (ATTCINW) > Subject: RE: Re: Enterprise Guide - Code generator in Create Format - > bug & solution > > Just out of curiousity (i don't have access to SAS Enterprise) - > wouldn't just using "p&&p" work? > > > -----Original Message----- > From: SAS(r) Discussion [mailto:SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of > DUELL, BOB (ATTCINW) > Sent: Friday, February 11, 2011 11:09 AM > To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU > Subject: Re: Enterprise Guide - Code generator in Create Format - bug & > solution > > Hi, > > This is a good tip; I'm sure I'll run into this as I start using EG more > and more. > > If you still have the ear of someone at SAS, I'd suggest that a better > "fix" is that the Code Generator should never use double-quotes as > string delimiters. Although I can imagine some cases where macro > variable resolution might be useful, I think that would be very rare. > > Thanks for reporting this! > > Bob > > -----Original Message----- > From: SAS(r) Discussion [mailto:SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of > Andy Bolton > Sent: Friday, February 11, 2011 4:15 AM > To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU > Subject: Enterprise Guide - Code generator in Create Format - bug & > solution > > Thought I'd share a bug/solution found in Enterprise Guide 4.1 this > week, > apologies if been covered before. > > We've a data field which contains the a 3 char value, eg aaa, bbb, and > then a problem one - p&p > > When using the > > Task -> Data -> Create Format > > and then doing > > New Label - Post and Packing > New Range -> Discrete -> p&p > > then > > Run > > You get a warning, as the Create Format code generator automatically > creates the format code as > > proc format lib=work; > value $formatname > "p&p" = "Post and Packing" > ; > run; > > Therefore - when the Format actually runs you get a warning, as the " > and > & interact, and SAS goes off merrily looking for a macro &p to resolve, > which of course doesn't exist. > > Unfortunately the Code Generator from Create Format is one of the ones > you > can't edit, so you can't go in and change the " "s to ' 's. > > But - there is a work around. > > instead of > > New Range -> Discrete -> and entering p&p > > you can do > > New Range -> Discrete -> you can enter > > %nrstr(p&p) > > as the variable. > > the code runs without a warning, and the generated code is > > proc format lib=work; > value $formatname > "%nrstr(p&p)" = "Post and Packing" > ; > run; > > Now, that's good if you know about macro-masking, but I'm not convinced > that most EG folk would know that. > > So I've asked for it to be added as a R&D development that there's > a "suppress double quote" check box or similar for the code generator, > or > that you can go in and edit the code. > > Sorry if this has all be been covered before, but I did have a look and > couldn't find it. > > Cheers, > > Andy > > > AndyBolton@kokino-marvo.com | kokino-marvo ltd: Strategy, Analytics & > Modelling >