Скачать или смотреть How to Create a SAS Variable from a MACRO Output

Learn how to effectively implement a `SAS` macro to generate a variable that shows the overlap between string lists in a dataset. This guide will guide you through the process with clear explanations and code examples.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/68663129/ asked by the user 'seestevecode' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/1321415/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/68666302/ provided by the user 'Joe' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/1623007/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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How to Create a SAS Variable from a MACRO Output: A Step-by-Step Guide

Creating variables based on complex calculations can sometimes be challenging, especially in SAS. In this post, we'll cover a common problem: how to generate a new variable showing the overlap between two space-separated string lists in your dataset using a SAS macro. We will resolve this by refactoring your macro to work within a DATA step, streamlining your process and avoiding common errors. Let's dive in!

Understanding the Problem

You have a dataset structured like this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Your goal is to create a third variable reflecting the overlap between the two lists – whether they are Full, Partial, or None.

Analyzing the Initial Macro

You provided a SAS macro for calculating the overlap:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This macro successfully analyzes the lists, but using CALL EXECUTE in your DATA step leads to errors because it outputs incomplete commands outside of the data step.

Solution

Instead of relying on CALL EXECUTE, we can refactor your macro to work seamlessly within the DATA step itself. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Refactor the Macro for Data Step Compatibility

You need to rewrite the list_overlap macro to directly calculate and assign the overlap within the DATA step. Here’s a modified version:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

2. Implementing the Macro in the DATA Step

Now that the macro is refactored, you can invoke it directly within a DATA step as follows:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Explanation of Changes

In this refactored version:

The macro directly calculates the number of matches based on the input lists.

It uses the length statement to define the match_type variable.

You no longer require CALL EXECUTE, which mitigates the risk of encountering syntax errors in your dataset.

Conclusion

By following the steps outlined above, you can easily generate a new variable in your SAS dataset that reflects the overlap between two string lists. This method avoids the complexities and potential pitfalls of CALL EXECUTE, ensuring your code runs smoothly.

Remember to test your macro with different datasets to make sure it behaves as expected. Happy coding!