SAS/SQL - Create SELECT Statement Using Custom Function - sql

Question

UPDATE
Given this new approach using INTNX I think I can just use a loop to simplify things even more. What if I made an array:
data;
array period [4] $ var1-var4 ('day' 'week' 'month' 'year');
run;
And then tried to make a loop for each element:
%MACRO sqlloop;
proc sql;
%DO k = 1 %TO dim(period); /* in case i decide to drop something from array later */
%LET bucket = &period(k)
CREATE TABLE output.t_&bucket AS (
SELECT INTX( "&bucket.", date_field, O, 'E') AS test FROM table);
%END
quit;
%MEND
%sqlloop
This doesn't quite work, but it captures the idea I want. It could just run the query for each of those values in INTX. Does that make sense?
I have a couple of prior questions that I'm merging into one. I got some really helpful advice on the others and hopefully this can tie it together.
I have the following function that creates a dynamic string to populate a SELECT statement in a SAS proc sql; code block:
proc fcmp outlib = output.funcs.test;
function sqlSelectByDateRange(interval $, date_field $) $;
day = date_field||" AS day, ";
week = "WEEK("||date_field||") AS week, ";
month = "MONTH("||date_field||") AS month, ";
year = "YEAR("||date_field||") AS year, ";
IF interval = "week" THEN
do;
day = '';
end;
IF interval = "month" THEN
do;
day = '';
week = '';
end;
IF interval = "year" THEN
do;
day = '';
week = '';
month = '';
end;
where_string = day||week||month||year;
return(where_string);
endsub;
quit;
I've verified that this creates the kind of string I want:
data _null_;
q = sqlSelectByDateRange('month', 'myDateColumn');
put q =;
run;
This yields:
q=MONTH(myDateColumn) AS month, YEAR(myDateColumn) AS year,
This is exactly what I want the SQL string to be. From prior questions, I believe I need to call this function in a MACRO. Then I want something like this:
%MACRO sqlSelectByDateRange(interval, date_field);
/* Code I can't figure out */
%MEND
PROC SQL;
CREATE TABLE output.t AS (
SELECT
%sqlSelectByDateRange('month', 'myDateColumn')
FROM
output.myTable
);
QUIT;
I am having trouble understanding how to make the code call this macro and interpret as part of the SQL SELECT string. I've tried some of the previous examples in other answers but I just can't make it work. I'm hoping this more specific question can help me fill in this missing step so I can learn how to do it in the future.

Answer 1

Two things:
First, you should be able to use %SYSFUNC to call your custom function.
%MACRO sqlSelectByDateRange(interval, date_field);
%SYSFUNC( sqlSelectByDateRange(&interval., &date_field.) )
%MEND;
Note that you should not use quotation marks when calling a function via SYSFUNC. Also, you cannot use SYSFUNC with FCMP functions until SAS 9.2. If you are using an earlier version, this will not work.
Second, you have a trailing comma in your select clause. You may need a dummy column as in the following:
PROC SQL;
CREATE TABLE output.t AS (
SELECT
%sqlSelectByDateRange('month', 'myDateColumn')
0 AS dummy
FROM
output.myTable
);
QUIT;
(Notice that there is no comma before dummy, as the comma is already embedded in your macro.)
UPDATE
I read your comment on another answer:
I also need to be able to do it for different date ranges and on a very ad-hoc basis, so it's something where I want to say "by month from june to december" or "weekly for two years" etc when someone makes a request.
I think I can recommend an easier way to accopmlish what you are doing. First, I'll create a very simple dataset with dates and values. The dates are spread throughout different days, weeks, months and years:
DATA Work.Accounts;
Format Opened yymmdd10.
Value dollar14.2
;
INPUT Opened yymmdd10.
Value dollar14.2
;
DATALINES;
2012-12-31 $90,000.00
2013-01-01 $100,000.00
2013-01-02 $200,000.00
2013-01-03 $150,000.00
2013-01-15 $250,000.00
2013-02-10 $120,000.00
2013-02-14 $230,000.00
2013-03-01 $900,000.00
RUN;
You can now use the INTNX function to create a third column to round the "Opened" column to some time period, such as a 'WEEK', 'MONTH', or 'YEAR' (see this complete list):
%LET Period = YEAR;
PROC SQL NOPRINT;
CREATE TABLE Work.PeriodSummary AS
SELECT INTNX( "&Period.", Opened, 0, 'E' ) AS Period_End FORMAT=yymmdd10.
, SUM( Value ) AS TotalValue FORMAT=dollar14.
FROM Work.Accounts
GROUP BY Period_End
;
QUIT;
Output for WEEK:
Period_End TotalValue
2013-01-05 $540,000
2013-01-19 $250,000
2013-02-16 $350,000
2013-03-02 $900,000
Output for MONTH:
Period_End TotalValue
2012-12-31 $90,000
2013-01-31 $700,000
2013-02-28 $350,000
2013-03-31 $900,000
Output for YEAR:
Period_End TotalValue
2012-12-31 $90,000
2013-12-31 $1,950,000

Answer 2

As Cyborg37 says, you probably should get rid of that trailing comma in your function. But note you do not really need to create a macro to do this, just use the %SYSFUNC function directly:
proc sql;
create table output.t as
select %sysfunc( sqlSelectByDateRange(month, myDateColumn) )
* /* to avoid the trailing comma */
from output.myTable;
quit;
Also, although this is a clever use of user-defined functions, it's not very clear why you want to do this. There are probably better solutions available that will not cause as much potential confusion in your code. User-defined functions, like user-written macros, can make life easier but they can also create an administrative nightmare.

Answer 3

I could make all sorts of guesses as to why you're getting errors, but fundamentally, don't do it this way. You can do exactly what you're trying to do in a data step that is much easier to troubleshoot and much easier to implement than a FCMP function which is really just trying to be a data step anyway.
Steps:
1. Create a dataset that has your possible date pulls. If you're using this a lot, you can put this in a permanent library that is defined in your SAS AUTOEXEC.
2. Create a macro that pulls the needed date strings from it.
3. If you want, use PROC FCMP to make this a function-style macro, using RUN_MACRO.
4. If you do that, use %SYSFUNC to call it.
Here is something that does this:
1:
data pull_list;
infile datalines dlm='|';
length query $50. type $8.;
input type $ typenum query $;
datalines;
day|1|&date_field. as day
week|2|week(&date_field.) as week
month|3|month(&date_field.) as month
year|4|year(&date_field.) as year
;;;;
run;
2:
%macro pull_list(type=,date_field=);
%let date_field = datevar;
%let type = week;
proc sql noprint;
select query into :sellist separated by ','
from pull_list
where typenum >= (select typenum from pull_list where type="&type.");
quit;
%mend pull_list;
3:
proc fcmp outlib = work.functions.funcs;
function pull_list(type $,date_field $) $;
rc = run_macro('pull_list', type,date_field);
if rc eq 0 then return("&sellist.");
else return(' ');
endsub;
run;
4:
data test;
input datevar 5.;
datalines;
18963
19632
18131
19105
;;;;
run;
option cmplib = (work.functions);
proc sql;
select %sysfunc(pull_list(week,datevar)) from test;
quit;
One of the big advantages of this is that you can add additional types without having to worry about the function's code - just add a row to pull_list and it works. If you want to set it up to do that, I recommend using something other than 1,2,3,4 for typenum - use 10,20,30,40 or something so you have gaps (say, if "twoweek" is added, it would be between 2 and 3, and 25 is easier than 2.5 for people to think about). Create that pull_list dataset, put it on a network drive where all of your users can use it (if anybody beyond you uses it, or a personal one if not), and go from there.