Date:         Tue, 17 Mar 1998 09:35:06 -0500
Reply-To:     WHITLOI1 <WHITLOI1@WESTAT.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU>
From:         WHITLOI1 <WHITLOI1@WESTAT.COM>
Subject:      Re: space in macro text
Comments: To: No_body <dontbother@ANYWHERE.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

 Subject: space in macro text
 Summary: Make a macro to handle the task.
 Respondent: Ian Whitlock <whitloi1@westat.com>
 
 YZ <dontbother@ANYWHERE.COM> asks:
 
 >I have a macro variable that holds a string like 'a1   b1       c1 dd1
 >eee1', the spaces between text varies, and so are the text which are less
 >than 8 digits,  how do I made the the length of text plus following spaces
 >equal to 9 (i.e., 'a1      b1      c1      dd1     eee1    ')? Any
 >suggestion would be greatly appreciated. Please CC my e-mail when replying
 >to group.
 
 I would make a macro to handle the task.  Given the new tools in 6.11+ it
 is easy.  Here is the log.
 
 72   %macro macex ( inlist = a1 b1 c1 dd1 eee1 , len = 9 ) ;
 73
 74     %local list w i ;
 75     %let i = 1 ;
 76     %let w = %qscan ( &inlist , &i ) ;
 77
 78     %do %while ( &w ^= ) ;
 79        %let w = &w%qsysfunc(repeat(%str( ),100)) ;
 80        %let list = &list%qsubstr(&w,1,&len) ;
 81        %let i = %eval ( &i + 1 ) ;
 82        %let w = %qscan ( &inlist , &i ) ;
 83     %end ;
 84
 85     &list
 86   %mend macex ;
 87
 88   %let list = %macex () ;
 89   %put >>>%macex()<<< ;
 >>>a1       b1       c1       dd1      eee1     <<<
 
 Ian Whitlock