Calling all data analysts and SAS enthusiasts! Are you ready to push your skills to the limit with our free SAS Macro Programming Quiz - a dynamic SAS macro quiz designed for anyone eager to master macro creation, parameter handling and conditional logic? This SAS macro creation test challenges you with authentic macro programming questions that mirror real-world scenarios, putting your SAS macro parameter handling quiz expertise to the ultimate challenge. By taking this scored quiz, you'll uncover best practices for modular coding, automate repetitive tasks and craft flexible macros that streamline your workflow. If you've aced our R programming quiz or tackled the SAS user-defined formats quiz, now's the moment to dive in - challenge yourself, learn in the process and ace the quiz!
Which symbol is used to reference a macro variable in SAS?
&
%
$
#
Macro variables are referenced by prefixing the variable name with an ampersand. The macro processor replaces the &variable reference with its stored value before execution. Using symbols like % or $ will not invoke macro variable substitution. Learn more in SAS Macro Language Reference.
What keyword starts the definition of a user-defined macro?
%macro
%def
macro
%begin
User-defined macros are initiated with the %macro statement followed by the macro name and any parameters. This tells SAS to compile and store the macro definition. Other keywords like %def or %begin are not valid macro definition statements. See Defining a Macro for details.
Which statement ends a macro definition?
%mend
%endmacro
endm
%stop
Every %macro statement must be paired with a corresponding %mend statement to complete the macro definition. Without %mend, SAS will continue expecting more macro code and raise errors. No other variations like %endmacro are recognized by the macro processor. More on this in Ending a Macro Definition.
How do you reference a macro variable named var1 within open code to ensure proper resolution?
&var1.
&var1
var1
%var1
Using &var1. with a trailing period ensures that the macro processor resolves var1 correctly and recognizes the end of the variable name. Omitting the period can cause ambiguous resolution if subsequent characters could form part of the name. Literal references or using %var1 are not valid for macro variable resolution. See Macro Variable Resolution for more.
What type of parameters are referenced positionally by number inside a macro (e.g., &1, &2)?
Positional parameters
Keyword parameters
Macro variables
Local variables
Positional parameters are specified in the macro definition without naming and are referenced inside the macro by &1, &2, etc. The order of values passed during invocation determines which parameter receives which value. Keyword parameters are named and referenced by name. For more, see Positional and Keyword Parameters.
How can you define a keyword parameter named num with a default value of 10 in a macro header?
%macro m(num=10);
%macro m(num 10);
%macro m(10=num);
%macro m =num(10);
Keyword parameters are defined by specifying name=value pairs in the macro header. The syntax %macro m(num=10); sets num to default to 10 if not overridden by the caller. Other syntaxes will result in compile errors. Refer to Keyword Parameter Defaults.
Which macro function converts text to uppercase?
%upcase
%upper
%ucase
%toupper
The %UPCASE macro function converts all letters in the argument to uppercase. No function named %UPPER or %UCASE exists in the SAS macro language. This function is evaluated during macro execution. More details are available at Macro Character Functions.
Which macro quoting function masks special characters so they are not interpreted during macro execution?
%bquote
%quote
%str
%superq
%BQUOTE masks special characters and mnemonic operators during macro execution, preventing them from being resolved prematurely. %QUOTE does similar masking at compile time, while %STR masks only during macro compilation. %SUPERQ prevents resolution of a macro variable reference entirely. For more, see Macro Quoting Functions.
What is the scope of a variable declared with %local inside a macro?
Local to the macro
Global across the session
Permanent dataset variable
Local to the calling program
The %LOCAL statement creates a macro variable that exists only within the current macro during its execution. Once the macro completes, the local variable is deleted. Global variables declared via %GLOBAL persist across the session. See %LOCAL and %GLOBAL Statements for more.
Which macro function allows for floating-point arithmetic evaluation (including decimals) in SAS macros?
%sysevalf
%eval
%fcalc
%arith
%SYSEVALF evaluates arithmetic expressions and returns floating-point results, including decimals. The %EVAL function only handles integer arithmetic and truncates decimal portions. Custom functions like %FCALC or %ARITH are not part of the SAS macro language. More information at %SYSEVALF Function.
How can you write a debug message that shows the value of macro variable var1 in the SAS log?
%put &var1;
%print &var1;
%log &var1;
%show &var1;
The %PUT statement writes text and macro variable values to the SAS log, making it ideal for debugging. Using %PUT &var1; resolves the variable and logs its current value. There are no %PRINT or %SHOW statements in the SAS macro language. See %PUT Statement for details.
What system option must be set to automatically load autocall macros from specified directories?
SASAUTOS
AUTOEXEC
MACROPATH
SYSLIB
The SASAUTOS system option specifies a list of directories for the autocall facility to search when resolving macro calls. When set, SAS automatically loads macros found in those directories without an explicit %INCLUDE. AUTOEXEC runs code at startup but does not control autocall paths. For more, refer to SASAUTOS Option.
Which macro quoting function should you use to prevent both percent signs and ampersands from being resolved when passing a parameter named macroinput?
%superq(macroinput)
%bquote(macroinput)
%quote(macroinput)
%str(macroinput)
%SUPERQ prevents the resolution of macro triggers like % and & in a macro variable reference, handling pre-resolved text safely. %BQUOTE and %QUOTE do masking at different stages, but they cannot suppress an already resolved macro variable entirely. %STR only masks tokens in the macro definition. More details in %SUPERQ Function.
Which SAS system option allows you to store compiled macro definitions in a permanent macro catalog for reuse?
MSTORE
SASSTORE
MACROMEM
STOREMAC
The MSTORE option, combined with MSTORED, enables storing compiled macros in a permanent macro catalog. This improves performance by avoiding recompilation on each invocation. Options like SASSTORE or MACROMEM do not exist in base SAS. For implementation details, see Storing Compiled Macros.
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Study Outcomes
Understand SAS macro fundamentals -
Master core macro programming concepts, including defining macros and interpreting macro variables, to build a solid foundation for answering macro programming questions.
Apply macro creation techniques -
Use best practices in the SAS macro creation test to write reusable, modular code that streamlines data processing tasks.
Configure and manage macro parameters -
Implement positional and keyword parameters effectively and navigate scenarios from the SAS macro parameter handling quiz with confidence.
Implement conditional logic in macros -
Leverage %IF-%THEN-%ELSE constructs to control macro execution flow and solve complex conditional scripting challenges.
Debug and troubleshoot macros -
Identify and resolve common syntax and runtime errors in SAS macro code to ensure accurate and reliable outputs.
Evaluate quiz performance and optimize code -
Analyze your results on the SAS Macro Programming Quiz to pinpoint improvement areas and refine macro logic for better performance.
Cheat Sheet
Macro Definition and Invocation -
Learn the anatomy of a SAS macro by mastering the %MACRO and %MEND statements - this forms the skeleton for reusable code (SAS Institute). For example, %macro greet(name); %put Hello &name!; %mend; creates a simple greeting macro you can call with %greet(John);. Remember: every %MACRO must end with a matching %MEND to compile correctly.
Positional vs. Keyword Parameters -
Differentiate between positional parameters (ordered) and keyword parameters (name=value) to make macros flexible (University of Rochester). Positional looks like %mymacro(x,y); while keyword uses %mymacro(x=1,y=2);, allowing default values and skipping arguments. Mnemonic trick: "Position first, Keywords speak" - think order vs. clarity.
Macro Variable Creation and Scope -
Use %LET or CALL SYMPUT to create macro variables, and be aware of global vs. local scope rules (Duke University). For instance, %let threshold=100; creates a global variable you can reference with &threshold anywhere. Tip: prefix local macros within %MACRO blocks to avoid naming collisions and unexpected behavior.
Conditional Processing with %IF-%THEN-%ELSE -
Implement logic inside macros using %IF, %THEN, %ELSE, and %EVAL to evaluate numeric and character conditions (SAS Institute). Example: %if %eval(&count>10) %then %do; %put High count; %end; ensures dynamic code branching. Remember: %IF statements are resolved during compilation, so always test macro conditions carefully.
Quoting Functions for Special Characters -
Master %STR, %NRSTR and other quoting functions to handle parentheses, commas, and other tokens safely in macro code (SAS Support). For example, use %nrstr(data,a b c) to prevent early resolution of commas or spaces. Mnemonic: "Quote to float" - if it might float away or break, wrap it in a quoting function.
