Problem Note 43828: The error "Expecting a variable name after %LET" occurs in SAS® 9.3
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The %LET statement in SAS® 9.3 might fail, resulting in the following message in the SAS log:
ERROR: Expecting a variable name after %LET.
This problem is most likely to occur when the %LET statement is defined within a macro that is called by another macro. Here is an example that replicates the problem:
%macro foo(arg1);
%put This is FOO! &=arg1;
%mend foo;
%macro bar;
%foo(%let x = 1; &x);
%mend bar;
%bar;
Click the Hot Fix tab in this note to access the hot fix for this issue.
Operating System and Release Information
| Product Family | Product | System | Product Release | SAS Release | ||
| Reported | Fixed* | Reported | Fixed* | |||
| SAS System | Base SAS | z/OS | 9.3 | 9.3_M1 | 9.3 TS1M0 | 9.3 TS1M1 |
| Z64 | 9.3 | 9.3_M1 | 9.3 TS1M0 | 9.3 TS1M1 | ||
| Microsoft® Windows® for x64 | 9.3 | 9.3_M1 | 9.3 TS1M0 | 9.3 TS1M1 | ||
| Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition | 9.3 | 9.3_M1 | 9.3 TS1M0 | 9.3 TS1M1 | ||
| Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition | 9.3 | 9.3_M1 | 9.3 TS1M0 | 9.3 TS1M1 | ||
| Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition | 9.3 | 9.3_M1 | 9.3 TS1M0 | 9.3 TS1M1 | ||
| Microsoft Windows Server 2003 for x64 | 9.3 | 9.3_M1 | 9.3 TS1M0 | 9.3 TS1M1 | ||
| Microsoft Windows Server 2008 | 9.3 | 9.3_M1 | 9.3 TS1M0 | 9.3 TS1M1 | ||
| Microsoft Windows Server 2008 for x64 | 9.3 | 9.3_M1 | 9.3 TS1M0 | 9.3 TS1M1 | ||
| Microsoft Windows XP Professional | 9.3 | 9.3_M1 | 9.3 TS1M0 | 9.3 TS1M1 | ||
| Windows 7 Enterprise 32 bit | 9.3 | 9.3_M1 | 9.3 TS1M0 | 9.3 TS1M1 | ||
| Windows 7 Enterprise x64 | 9.3 | 9.3_M1 | 9.3 TS1M0 | 9.3 TS1M1 | ||
| Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit | 9.3 | 9.3_M1 | 9.3 TS1M0 | 9.3 TS1M1 | ||
| Windows 7 Home Premium x64 | 9.3 | 9.3_M1 | 9.3 TS1M0 | 9.3 TS1M1 | ||
| Windows 7 Professional 32 bit | 9.3 | 9.3_M1 | 9.3 TS1M0 | 9.3 TS1M1 | ||
| Windows 7 Professional x64 | 9.3 | 9.3_M1 | 9.3 TS1M0 | 9.3 TS1M1 | ||
| Windows 7 Ultimate 32 bit | 9.3 | 9.3_M1 | 9.3 TS1M0 | 9.3 TS1M1 | ||
| Windows 7 Ultimate x64 | 9.3 | 9.3_M1 | 9.3 TS1M0 | 9.3 TS1M1 | ||
| Windows Vista | 9.3 | 9.3_M1 | 9.3 TS1M0 | 9.3 TS1M1 | ||
| Windows Vista for x64 | 9.3 | 9.3_M1 | 9.3 TS1M0 | 9.3 TS1M1 | ||
| 64-bit Enabled AIX | 9.3 | 9.3_M1 | 9.3 TS1M0 | 9.3 TS1M1 | ||
| 64-bit Enabled HP-UX | 9.3 | 9.3_M1 | 9.3 TS1M0 | 9.3 TS1M1 | ||
| 64-bit Enabled Solaris | 9.3 | 9.3_M1 | 9.3 TS1M0 | 9.3 TS1M1 | ||
| HP-UX IPF | 9.3 | 9.3_M1 | 9.3 TS1M0 | 9.3 TS1M1 | ||
| Linux | 9.3 | 9.3_M1 | 9.3 TS1M0 | 9.3 TS1M1 | ||
| Linux for x64 | 9.3 | 9.3_M1 | 9.3 TS1M0 | 9.3 TS1M1 | ||
| Solaris for x64 | 9.3 | 9.3_M1 | 9.3 TS1M0 | 9.3 TS1M1 | ||
A fix for this issue for Base SAS 9.3 is available at:
https://tshf.sas.com/techsup/download/hotfix/HF2/E80.html#43828A fix for this issue for Base SAS 9.3 on z/OS is available at:
https://tshf.sas.com/techsup/download/hotfix/HF2/E80_mvs.html#43828A fix for this issue for Base SAS 9.3 on z/OS 64-bit is available at:
https://tshf.sas.com/techsup/download/hotfix/HF2/E80_z64.html#43828
Changes made in the macro processor for SAS 9.3 can cause an error with the %LET statement. The error message reported in the SASLOG is:
ERROR: Expecting a variable name after %LET.
| Type: | Problem Note |
| Priority: | high |
| Date Modified: | 2012-02-17 09:23:12 |
| Date Created: | 2011-07-26 14:18:00 |