Using SAS/IML Software to Generate IML Statements

Executing Any Command in an EXECUTE Call

The EXECUTE command executes the statements contained in the arguments by using the same facilities as a sequence of CALL PUSH, PAUSE, and RESUME statements. The statements use the same symbol environment as that of the subroutine that calls them. For example, consider the following subroutine:

  
      proc iml; 
      start exectest; 
      /*    IML STATEMENTS  */ 
         call execute ("xnum = {1 2 3, 4 5 6, 7 8 0};"); 
         call execute ("create dsnum1 from xnum;"); 
         call execute ("append from xnum;"); 
         call execute ("print 'DSNUM should have 3 obs and 3 var:';"); 
         call execute ("list all;"); 
      /*    global (options) statement  */ 
         call execute ("options linesize=68;"); 
         call execute ("print 'Linesize should be 68';"); 
      finish; 
      run exectest;
 

The following output generated from EXECTEST is exactly the same as if you had entered the statements one at a time:

  
                   DSNUM should have 3 obs and 3 var: 
  
                   OBS      COL1      COL2      COL3 
                  ------ --------- --------- --------- 
                       1    1.0000    2.0000    3.0000 
                       2    4.0000    5.0000    6.0000 
                       3    7.0000    8.0000         0 
  
                          Linesize should be 68
 

CALL EXECUTE could almost be programmed in IML as shown here; the difference between this and the built-in command is that the following subroutine would not necessarily have access to the same symbols as the calling environment:

  
    start execute(command1,...); 
       call push(command1,...," resume;"); 
       pause; 
    finish;