# Documentation for the `SQLinDS` package.
  
----------------------------------------------------------------
 
 *SQL queries in Data Step* 
  
----------------------------------------------------------------
 
### Version information:
  
- Package: SQLinDS
- Version: 2.3.3
- Generated: 2026-02-17T08:25:24
- Author(s): Mike Rhoads (RhoadsM1@Westat.com), contributor Bartosz Jablonski
- Maintainer(s): Bartosz Jablonski (yabwon@gmail.com)
- License: MIT
- File SHA256: `F*6CC51325BDCE164B2E811896DD1C3A6D44242F50CC313D0721350CA49975F628` for this version
- Content SHA256: `C*776741E40EB6DCD907640ACA674F092BFAF0F7DE031519B6B453D37F6D6959D9` for this version
  
---
 
# The `SQLinDS` package, version: `2.3.3`;
  
---
 

The **SQLinDS** package is an implementation of 
the *macro-function-sandwich* concept introduced in the 
*"Use the Full Power of SAS in Your Function-Style Macros"*,
the article by *Mike Rhoads (Westat, Rockville)*.

The article is available at:
[https://support.sas.com/resources/papers/proceedings12/004-2012.pdf](https://support.sas.com/resources/papers/proceedings12/004-2012.pdf)

Copy of the article can also be found in *additional content* directory.

Package provides ability to *execute* SQL queries inside a data step, e.g.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~sas
  data class;
    set %SQL(select name, age from sashelp.class);
  run;
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

See the help for the `%SQL()` macro to find more examples. 

### Content ###################################################################

SQLinDS package contains the following components:

1. `%SQL()` macro - the main package macro available for the User
2. `dsSQL()` function (internal)
3. `%dsSQL_inner()` macro (internal)
4. Library `DSSQL` (created as a subdirectory of the `WORK` library)
5. Optional KMF-abbreviations `sqlinds`

---

  
---
 
  
---
 
Required SAS Components: 
  - Base SAS Software
  
---
 
  
---
 
Package contains additional content, run:  `%loadPackageAddCnt(SQLinDS)`  to load it
or look for the `sqlinds_AdditionalContent` directory in the `packages` fileref
localization (only if additional content was deployed during the installation process).
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------
 
*SAS package generated by SAS Package Framework, version `20260216`,*
*under `WIN`(`X64_10PRO`) operating system,*
*using SAS release: `9.04.01M9P06042025`.*
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------
 
# The `SQLinDS` package content
The `SQLinDS` package consists of the following content:
 
1. [`dssql` libname ](#dssql-libname-1 )
2. [`%dssql_inner()` macro ](#dssqlinner-macro-2 )
3. [`%sql()` macro ](#sql-macro-3 )
4. [`dssql()` function ](#dssql-function-4 )
5. [`sqlinds` kmfsnip ](#sqlinds-kmfsnip-5 )
  
 
6. [License note](#license)
  
---
 
## `dssql` libname <a name="dssql-libname-1"></a> ######
 
The `dsSQL` library stores temporary views 
generated during the `%SQL()` macro execution.

If possible a sub-directory of the `WORK` location is created, like: 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~sas
LIBNAME dsSQL BASE "%sysfunc(pathname(WORK))/dsSQLtmp";
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

if not possible, then redirects to the `WORK` location, like:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~sas
LIBNAME dsSQL BASE "%sysfunc(pathname(WORK))"; 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

---

  
---
 
## `%dssql_inner()` macro <a name="dssqlinner-macro-2"></a> ######
 
The `%dsSQL_Inner()` macro is an **internal** 
macro called by `dsSQL()` function.

The macro generates a uniquely named SQL view on the fly
which is then stored in the `dsSQL` library.

The `%dsSQL_Inner()` is *not* designed to be 
called on its own. 
 
Recommended for *SAS 9.3* and higher. 

---

  
---
 
## `%sql()` macro <a name="sql-macro-3"></a> ######
 
The `%SQL()` macro is the **main** 
macro in the package. The macro allows 
to use SQL queries in the data step.
 
Recommended for *SAS 9.3* and higher.
 
Implementation is based on the article: 
*"Use the Full Power of SAS in Your Function-Style Macros"*
by *Mike Rhoads* (Westat, Rockville), available at:
[https://support.sas.com/resources/papers/proceedings12/004-2012.pdf](https://support.sas.com/resources/papers/proceedings12/004-2012.pdf)

Copy of the article can also be found in *additional content* directory.

### SYNTAX: ###################################################################
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~sas
%sql(<nonempty Proc SQL query code>)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The THE query code is limited to approximately *32000* bytes.

### EXAMPLES: #################################################################

**EXAMPLE 1**: simple SQL query
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~sas
data class_subset;
  set %SQL(select name, sex, height from sashelp.class where age > 12);
run;
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**EXAMPLE 2**: query with dataset options
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~sas
data renamed;
  set %SQL(select name, age from sashelp.class 
           where sex = "F")(rename = (age=age2)
           );
run;
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**EXAMPLE 3**: Proc SQL dictionaries in the data step
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~sas
data dictionary;
  set %SQL(select dict.* from dictionary.macros as dict);
run;
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
---

  
---
 
## `dssql()` function <a name="dssql-function-4"></a> ######
 
The `dsSQL()` function is an **internal** 
function called by the `%SQL()` macro.

The function pass a query code from the `%SQL()` 
macro to the `%dsSQL_Inner()` internal macro.

The `dsSQL()` is *not* designed to be 
called on its own. 

Recommended for *SAS 9.3* and higher. 

### SYNTAX: ###################################################################
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~sas
dsSQL(unique_index_2, query)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Arguments description**:

1. `unique_index_2` - *Numeric*, internal variable, a unique index for views.

2. `query` -          *Character*, internal variable, contains query text.

---

  
---
 
## `sqlinds` kmfsnip <a name="sqlinds-kmfsnip-5"></a> ######
This is a help note for `sqlinds` KMF-abbreviation.

The snippet presents a template 
for use of the `%SQL()` macro.

To read help info about the macro 
run he following:
`%helpPackage(SQLinDS,'%sql()')`

  
---
 
  
---
 
# License <a name="license"></a> ######
 
Copyright (c) since 2012 onward, Mike Rhoads

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.
  
---
 
