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SAS Macro [2-15]

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Automatic Macro Variables

Automatic macro variables are the built-in macro variables that can automate and enhance your program.

​Example

Copy and run the TRANSAC data set from the yellow box below. 

data transac; input TranID $ Agent $ Amount; datalines; TRAN201 John 2257.33 TRAN202 John 1801.16 TRAN203 John 1633.06 TRAN204 John 2188.28 TRAN205 Mary 2137.81 TRAN206 Tom 2544.31 TRAN207 Mary 2113.24 TRAN208 Tom 2129.25 TRAN209 John 2042.07 TRAN210 Mary 2850.96 TRAN211 Tom 2274.13 TRAN212 Mary 2690.08 TRAN213 Tom 2298.36 TRAN214 Tom 2150.81 TRAN215 John 2108.65 TRAN216 Mary 2721.67 TRAN217 Tom 2003.23 TRAN218 John 2031.47 TRAN219 Tom 2065.33 TRAN220 Mary 2359.88 TRAN221 John 1798.15 TRAN222 John 2141.32 TRAN223 Tom 1727.17 TRAN224 Tom 1457.31 TRAN225 Mary 2428.40 TRAN226 Tom 1963.45 TRAN227 Tom 1953.18 TRAN228 John 1860.82 TRAN229 Tom 1820.78 TRAN230 Tom 2068.38 TRAN231 Tom 1318.73 TRAN232 Tom 1944.70 TRAN233 Mary 2397.87 TRAN234 Tom 2190.35 TRAN235 John 2226.97 TRAN236 John 1720.04 TRAN237 Tom 1823.57 TRAN238 Mary 2021.40 TRAN239 Tom 2041.79 TRAN240 John 2089.31 TRAN241 Mary 2155.24 TRAN242 Tom 1284.41 TRAN243 Mary 2320.31 TRAN244 Mary 2155.03 TRAN245 Mary 2625.24 TRAN246 Tom 1613.50 TRAN247 John 2239.50 TRAN248 Mary 2268.51 TRAN249 Tom 2513.09 TRAN250 John 1992.96 TRAN251 Mary 2898.58 TRAN252 Mary 2553.50 TRAN253 Tom 2078.60 TRAN254 Mary 2784.42 TRAN255 John 2180.75 TRAN256 Tom 2424.55 TRAN257 John 1923.70 TRAN258 John 2178.76 TRAN259 John 2008.15 TRAN260 Mary 2470.40 TRAN261 John 1898.00 TRAN262 Mary 1938.43 TRAN263 Mary 1883.78 TRAN264 Tom 1923.79 TRAN265 Mary 2479.35 TRAN266 Tom 1358.18 TRAN267 Tom 1322.22 TRAN268 Tom 1728.02 TRAN269 John 1641.06 TRAN270 Mary 2428.35 TRAN271 Tom 1584.78 TRAN272 Tom 1586.91 TRAN273 Mary 2024.78 TRAN274 Mary 2296.62 TRAN275 Tom 2128.01 TRAN276 Mary 2531.36 TRAN277 Mary 1497.01 TRAN278 Mary 2420.99 TRAN279 John 2282.60 TRAN280 John 1715.45 TRAN281 Mary 2448.12 TRAN282 Tom 1425.69 TRAN283 John 2036.32 TRAN284 Tom 2202.43 TRAN285 John 1946.58 TRAN286 John 1986.49 TRAN287 Mary 2729.13 TRAN288 John 2267.45 TRAN289 Tom 1545.76 TRAN290 Mary 2505.27 TRAN291 Tom 2202.28 TRAN292 John 2313.42 TRAN293 Tom 1228.76 TRAN294 John 2067.98 TRAN295 John 2093.33 TRAN296 Mary 2189.40 TRAN297 John 2127.22 TRAN298 John 1939.25 TRAN299 John 2287.44 TRAN300 Tom 1600.56 ; run;

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The TRANSAC data set contains a list of transactions, agents and transaction amount:

• TranID: Transaction ID
• Agent: Tom, Mary or John
• Amount: Transaction Amount

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&Sysdate, &Systime

Let's assume you have to run a summary report for the transaction amount everyday.

You could write a program that includes the date and time of the report in the title:
​
Example

Title1 "Transaction Report";
Title2 "May 8 at 12:10pm";

proc means data=transac N Mean STD;
var amount;
class agent;
run;

The program looks good. However, if you are going to reuse the program on a daily basis, you will have to manually change the date and time in the title statement:

​Example

Title2 "May 8 at 12:10pm"; 

A better way to write the program is to use the automatic macro variables:

• Sysdate
• Systime

Sysdate and Systime are two built-in macro variables that contain the date and time of the current SAS sessions.

Example

​Title1 "Transaction Report";
Title2 "&sysdate at &systime";

proc means data=transac N Mean STD;
var amount;
class agent;
run;

The macro variable sysdate and systime will be replaced by the date and time of the current SAS session, respectively.

The date and time of the report will be automatically updated:

** Important Note **

When referencing a macro variable within a quotation, double quotes must be used.

Example

Good
Title2 "&sysdate at &systime";

Bad
​Title2 '&sysdate at &systime';

SAS does not recognize macro variables within a single quote. 

Example

​Title1 'Transaction Report';
Title2 '&sysdate at&systime';

In later sessions, you will learn how to change the display format of the macro variables using SAS macro functions.

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Exercise

Some other common automatic macro variables include:

• Sysscp: Operating System being used
• Sysver: SAS version being used

Rerun the program above and add two footnotes to the program:

• Footnote 1: Operating System: xxx
• Footnote 2: SAS Version: yyy

where xxx = operating system and yyy = SAS version.

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