Functions and CALL Routines

Syntax

Syntax of Functions

The syntax of a function is

function-name (argument-1<, ...argument-n>)

function-name (OF variable-list)

function-name (OF array-name{*})

where

function-name

names the function.

argument

can be a variable name, constant, or any SAS expression, including another function. The number and kind of arguments that SAS allows are described with individual functions. Multiple arguments are separated by a comma.

Tip:	If the value of an argument is invalid (for example, missing or outside the prescribed range), SAS writes a note to the log indicating that the argument is invalid, sets _ERROR_ to 1, and sets the result to a missing value.
Examples:	x=max(cash,credit); x=sqrt(1500); NewCity=left(upcase(City)); x=min(YearTemperature-July,YearTemperature-Dec); s=repeat('----+',16); x=min((enroll-drop),(enroll-fail)); dollars=int(cash); if sum(cash,credit)>1000 then put 'Goal reached';

variable-list

can be any form of a SAS variable list, including individual variable names. If more than one variable list appears, separate them with a space or with a comma and another OF.

Examples:

```
a=sum(of x  y  z);
```

The following two examples are equivalent.

a=sum(of x1-x10 y1-y10 z1-z10);
a=sum(of x1-x10, of y1-y10, of z1-z10);

```
z=sum(of y1-y10);
```

array-name{*}

names a currently defined array. Specifying an array in this way causes SAS to treat the array as a list of the variables instead of processing only one element of the array at a time.

Examples:

```
array y{10} y1-y10;
x=sum(of y{*});
```

Syntax of CALL Routines

The syntax of a CALL routine is

CALL routine-name (argument-1<, ...argument-n>);

CALL routine-name (OF variable-list);

CALL routine-name (argument-1 | OF variable-list-1 <, ...argument-n | OF variable-list-n>);

where

routine-name

names a SAS CALL routine.

argument

can be a variable name, a constant, any SAS expression, an external module name, an array reference, or a function. Multiple arguments are separated by a comma. The number and kind of arguments that are allowed are described with individual CALL routines in the dictionary section.

Examples:

```
call rxsubstr(rx,string,position);
```
```
call set(dsid);
```
```
call ranbin(Seed_1,n,p,X1);
```
```
call label(abc{j},lab);
```

variable-list

can be any form of a SAS variable list, including variable names. If more than one variable list appears, separate them with a space or with a comma and another OF.

Examples:

call cats(inventory, of y1-y15, of z1-z15);
call catt(of item17-item23 pack17-pack23);

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