When using the macro language it is not at all unusual to need to manipulate a list of values. These may be a list of variables in a data set or even a list of data set names. This list is often stored in a macro variable where one macro variable is used to store the entire list. Usually this list is then used one item at a time. The macro variable that contains this list of values can be created in a number of different ways including through the use of the DATA step or PROC SQL. Once created, the user will often want to step through the list performing one or more operations on each of the elements in the list, and this is often accomplished using a combination of the %DO statement and the %SCAN function.
This paper shows how to write a series of values to a macro variable and then how to take advantage of the list by utilizing it from within the macro language.
conference:
