Hi,

The ";" is a separator for the function scan. If you want to obtain anything separated by space add a third parameter to %scan to give it the list of your separator: "%str( )" in this case.

See an example of what I got by modifying your macro: 176 %macro bidon; 177 %LET text1 = %str(pppplllm ; tttttt ; kkkkkk ;) ; 178 %put text1=&text1; 179 %do i =1 %to 10; 180 %let check = %scan(&text1, &i,%str( )) ; 181 %put i=&i check=&check ; 182 %end ; 183 %mend; 184 %bidon; text1=pppplllm ; tttttt ; kkkkkk ; i=1 check=pppplllm i=2 check=; i=3 check=tttttt i=4 check=; i=5 check=kkkkkk i=6 check=; i=7 check= i=8 check= i=9 check= i=10 check=

NB: You may want to stop the loop as soon the value of check is a null value... add: %if %length(&check)=0 then %let i=11; at the end of the %do loop.

Regards, Bernard Tremblay \\\|/// \\ - - // ( @ @ ) +------oOOo-(_)-oOOo----------+---------------------------------+ | Bernard Tremblay | | | La Capitale | Tel: (418) 646-2401 | | | Fax: (418) 646-5960 | | | Int: bernard@capitale.qc.ca | +-----------------------------+---------------------------------+ | Imaginasys enr | Res: (418) 878-4447 | | | Int: bertrem@quebectel.com | +---------------Oooo----------+---------------------------------+ oooO ( ) ( ) ) / \ ( (_/ \_) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >>>From owner-sas-l@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU Fri Mar 20 16:16 EST 1998 >>>X400-Received: by /PRMD=NATBANK1/ADMD=IBMX400/C=US/; Relayed; Fri, 20 Mar 1998 >>> 16:14:49 -0500 >>>X400-Received: by /PRMD=NATIONSBANK/ADMD=IBMX400/C=US/; Relayed; Fri, 20 Mar >>> 1998 16:13:19 -0500 >>>X400-Originator: abdu.elnagheeb@LMS >>>X400-Recipients: sas-l@uga.cc.uga.edu >>>X400-Mts-Identifier: [/PRMD=NATIONSBANK/ADMD=IBMX400/C=US/;0056440000185534000002L442] >>>X400-Content-Type: P2-1988 (22) >>>Content-Identifier: H000083802192845 >>>Date: Fri, 20 Mar 1998 16:13:19 -0500 >>>Sender: "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU> >>>From: "abdu.elnagheeb(a)nationsbank.com" >>> <abdu.elnagheeb@NATIONSBANK.COM> >>>Subject: %SCAN and the Semicolon (;) >>>To: SAS-L@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU >>>Content-Type: text >>>Content-Length: 454 >>> >>> Hello everyone, >>> >>> It seems that %SCAN can't catch the semicolon (;). For example, if >>> you have (parts of a macro): >>> >>> %LET text1 = %str(pppplllm ; tttttt ; kkkkkk ;) ; >>> >>> %do i =1 %to 9999; >>> %let check = %scan(&text1, &i) ; >>> %end ; >>> >>> the macro variable check will NEVER assume the value ';' . Am I >>> wrong? >>> >>> What else can one do to capture the semicolon there? >>> >>> Thanks and have a nice weekend. >>> >>> abdu >>>