Dynamics Compared to Macro Variables

The main difference between dynamics and macro variables is how they are initialized.

For dynamics, use the DYNAMIC statement with PROC SGRENDER. For example,

proc sgrender data=sashelp.class template=timeseries;
  dynamic yvar="inflation" ylabel="Inflation Rate";
run;

Values for dynamics that resolve to column names or strings should be quoted. Numeric values should not be quoted.

For macro variables, use the current symbol table (local or global) to look up the macro variable values at run time. For example,

%let locate=inside;
%let trans=.3;

proc sgrender data=sashelp.class template=timeseries;
  dynamic yvar="inflation" ylabel="Inflation Rate";
run;

No initialization is needed for system macro variables like SYSDATE.