Hack 5.3 Saving the Source Code of Compiled Macros

SAS Programming Professionals,

Did you know that you can save the source code for compiled macros in the same macro catalog entry as the compiled code for later use?

The SOURCE option of the %MACRO statement directs SAS to save the macro source statements along with the compiled macro code in the macro catalog entry.  Thereafter, you can use the %COPY macro statement to print the macro’s source code to the SAS log, or have it written to a file.  Here is an example:

libname maclib "c:\temp";

options mstored sasmstore=maclib;

%MACRO BIGMAC / store source;

proc print data=sashelp.class;

    var name age;

run;

%MEND BIGMAC;

%COPY BIGMAC / source out='c:\temp\bigmac.sas';

We begin this example by allocating a directory to house the macro catalog via a LIBNAME statement.  The two options specified in the OPTIONS statement declare that all stored macros are to be stored in the macro catalog (which SAS will name SASMACR)  in the previously allocated directory.

Next, we create the %BIGMAC macro.  The STORE option directs SAS to store the compiled macro in a catalog entry.  The SOURCE option tells SAS to store the source code for the macro—everything between %MACRO and the final semicolon on the %MEND statement—in the same catalog entry.

We suddenly realize that we need to create a separate SAS program from the BIGMAC macro catalog entry.  So, we use the %COPY macro statement and the SOURCE option, and create the BIGMAC.SAS program file.  If we had not specified the OUT= option, SAS would have simply written the macro source code to the log.

The ability to store macro SOURCE code in the macro catalog entry was introduced in version 9 of SAS.  It obviates the old tried-and-true method of storing the source code of compiled macros in separate directories.  Though many of us have done that for years and have it down-pat, there is always the possibility that the macro catalog and the source code directory could somehow lose sight of one another.  Having the source code living in the same Dwelling Unit as the compiled macro provides an extra layer of integrity to the clever SAS macros that you write!

Best of luck in all your SAS endeavors!

---MMMMIIIIKKKKEEEE

(aka Michael A. Raithel)

Author of the new cult classic for computer programmers:  It Only Hurts When I Hit <ENTER>
Print edition:  http://tinyurl.com/z8bzx2e 
Kindle edition: http://tinyurl.com/zypgqa7 

The hack above is an excerpt from the book:  Did You Know That?  Essential Hacks for Clever SAS Programmers

http://tinyurl.com/zfd67rh