Open code statement recursion detected during exporting a file

Question

I try to export a file in SAS but I get "Open code statement recursion detected." error. Since I export more than one files depending on date I define as a macro variable based on the prompt date, I want to name my file to be exported with this variable but it does not work. I would really appreciate if anyone helps me.

rep_date = 30APR2015:00:00:00
 Outfile = work.A042015.sas7

%let var = CATS("A",MONTH(DATEPART(&rep_date)),YEAR(DATEPART(&rep_date)));
data WORK.&var(compress=yes); 
set WORK.have;
run; 

Solution 1

Macro variables are just strings. So if you want to execute functions in macro code you need to wrap the function inside of the %SYSFUNC() macro function.

%let rep_date='01JAN2015:01:23'dt ;
%let dsname = A%sysfunc(datepart(&rep_date),monyy6);
data &dsname(compress=yes);
  set have;
run;

Solution 2

As a more broad issue, OPEN STATEMENT RECURSION DETECTED refers to cases where you assign a macro variable to itself.

%let &mvar = &mvar;

Of course, this wouldn't normally happen on purpose (one would think). When it does happen, usually it's a sign of one of two classes of mistake.

1. You're missing a semicolon, end parenthesis, end quote, or something else that causes SAS to not "see" the semicolon at the end of the %let statement. Then your next statement uses the macro variable in a macro context, and SAS sees that as part of the %let statement, which causes this error message.
2. Something went wrong somewhere else, and you have an issue where that something-else propagates errors further down that don't make any sense. Having an unmatched quotation is a classic example of this, as is a macro that doesn't properly %mend.

1 can happen in cases as simple as this:

%let mvar=mydataset
%put &mvar;

Oops. If it's that simple, then just pop the semicolon on and you're good. It could, however, be caused by something more significant - such as an unmatched parenthesis or quotation - which might require restarting your SAS session. (Sometimes submitting a magic string, which are variations on %*;*;*';*";%*%mend;*);, will fix things, sometimes not. Restarting SAS is a reliable way to fix that).

That's also true with 2 above - if a magic string doesn't fix it, then you may simply need to restart your SAS session. Of course, you still need to find that unmatched quote/parenthesis/etc., but you first need to start SAS over so you can figure it out.