Testing for an empty parameter in a SAS Macro

Question

For example, i have a macro program

%macro test(parameter1= , parameter2=, parameter3=);
  DATA data_gender;
  SET data_input(WHERE=(gender=parameter3));
           


        

Answer 1

Agree with Joe's answer. One good point they make in the paper is they are testing for blank, and their test will return true whether a parameter is null or has blanks in it. Sometimes it is useful have a test that differentiates between a parameter that is null and one that has blanks. The paper mentions %length(%superq( )) as a possible test for null. For example below, this allows you to specify a blank value for sex, and get a different result than you do when sex is null.

data class;
  set sashelp.class;
  if _n_=1 then sex='';
run;

%macro test2(parameter1= , parameter2=, sex=);
  DATA data_gender;
  SET class(
            %if %length(%superq(sex)) %then %do;
              where=(sex="&sex.")
            %end;
           );
  RUN;
%mend;

%test2(sex=)
%test2(sex=%str( ))

Answer 2

For this answer I will cite Chang Chung's seminal paper, "Is This Macro Parameter Blank", as it is excellent and goes into great detail about your options here.

The "best" option follows (ie, using the recommended method from the paper above). Note the initial %test macro doesn't return any rows for the blank parameter, while the second %test2 does.

There are simpler ways to test for a macro parameter being blank that work in most cases, and read the paper for more details about the simpler options.

%macro test(parameter1= , parameter2=, sex=);
  DATA data_gender;
  SET sashelp.class(where=(sex="&sex."));
  RUN;
%mend;

%test(sex=M);
%test(sex=F);
%test(sex=);

%macro test2(parameter1= , parameter2=, sex=);
  DATA data_gender;
  SET sashelp.class(
    %if %sysevalf(%superq(sex) ne,boolean) %then %do;
        where=(sex="&sex.")
        %end;
    );
  RUN;
%mend;

%test2(sex=M);
%test2(sex=F);
%test2(sex=);