PARENTNAME ("argument");
The PARENTNAME function enables you to determine the name of a matrix that is passed into a SAS/IML module. If an argument is skipped or the argument is called with an expression, the PARENTNAME function returns a blank character.
start GetName(a=0); pa = ParentName("a"); return( pa ); finish; x = 1:5; n1 = GetName(x); /* name is "x" */ n2 = GetName(1:5); /* temporary matrix, no name */ n3 = GetName(); /* skipped argument, no name */ print n1 n2 n3;