Date:         Fri, 18 Oct 1996 11:12:06 -0400
Reply-To:     Laurie Fleming <lfleming@ACTRIX.GEN.NZ>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU>
From:         Laurie Fleming <lfleming@ACTRIX.GEN.NZ>
Organization: Actrix Networks Limited
Subject:      Here's a handy (macro) thingy...

Straight SAS code won't allow a '%if' command, because it has to
be placed inside a macro, whereas other macro commands can be
typed in directly (command line, between procs et al).
 
However, sometimes I have to do a conditional macro statement, and
here's one way of doing it. I commonly want to right-justify and
zero fill a pseudo-numeric macro value so I can do valid comparisons
with other values. Assume a value in 'i' of 53, and a required value
of 00053:
 
%let i = %substr(0000&i, %length(&i), 5);
 
The first parameter resolves to 000053, the second to 2 (the length
of the text value '53', and the result: 53. If i = 5, then the first
parameter is 00005, the second 1, and the result 00005.
 
It may not be that important, but if there were an obfuscated SAS
competition, this would be my one-liner. (-8
 
Laurie Fleming    |  What do you get when you  |  (+64 4) 479-1589
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