Date:         Tue, 14 May 1996 19:44:44 -0400
Reply-To:     AMICELI <AMICELI@ADVANTA.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU>
From:         AMICELI <AMICELI@ADVANTA.COM>
Subject:      Re: macro q again

In response to the idea that &dat must have quotes around the value because of
code like:
%IF &DAT='UN'  %THEN %DO;
 
the substitution of code:
 
%if &dat=UN %then %do;
 
Will work just as well if you omit the quotes from the assignment statement.
for a line like:
IF SUBSTR(MONTH,1,2)=&DAT
 
the substitution of code:
if substr(month,1,2)="&dat"
will work just as well when there are no quotes in the macro value.
 
The point is, that with macro variables you can go either way.  However, it is
easier to leave
the quotes out of the macro value because then you won't have to use quoting
functions later
on.
 
Amy Miceli