How to loop character A-Z in SAS?

To loop characters A-Z elegantly, we can have two ways as follows:

data _null_;
    put "First method:";
    string = 'ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ'; * string from A to Z;
    do i=1 to length(string);
        char = substrn(string, i, 1);
        put char=; 
    end;

    put "Second method (using RANK and BYTE):";
    do i=rank('A') to rank('Z');
        char = byte(i);
        put char=;
    end;
run;

If you can find any way better, please let me know.

How to find hidden macro in batch run

By default, it does not give out any information for macro compilation when the macro definition are %include. It is OK for most time. However, it may be helpful when you want to locate the macro when multiple versions exist. With system option MCOMPILENOTE, we can easily address this problem.
Similarly, we can use MEXECNOTE to get more details on macro execution.

Programmatically, we can add version information in macro description. See blow:

%macro test / des = 'Version 1.0';
%mend;

proc catalog;
contents cat=work.sasmacr; /* list macro description */
quit;

Identify trailing string using $revers.

In SAS, it is easy to identify leading string using ":" operator modifier, e.g. "a =: b". However, there was no easy way to identify trailing ones. Traditionally we could use combination of substr/reverse/length/strip functions. Personally I prefer format $revers as it combines the functionality of substr and left-align. Note that the width should be the length of the character variable.

data _null_;
    a = 'abc efg   ';
    if put(a, $revers10.) =: 'gfe' then put "a has trailing string efg";
run;

/*
Output:
a has trailing string efg
*/

Result: 

LUA - it is safe to drive SAS

PROC LUA can create safe environment to drive SAS because you don't worry about changing any existing library, fileref, macros and global options outside LUA session. Furthermore, you can also setup new library, fileref, macros and global options in LUA session. It will maintain all of them inside LUA session until it terminates or restarts.

Below are the sample code to demonstrate the concepts:

filename test temp;
libname test "c:\";
%macro test;
    %put outside;
%mend;

proc lua restart;
submit;
sas.submit [[
/* It will fail to delete existing fileref or library */
filename test clear;
libname test clear;
]]
endsubmit;
run;

proc lua restart;
submit;
sas.submit [[
filename test temp;
libname test "c:\temp";
options obs=0;
%macro test;
    %put inside;
%mend;

filename test list;
libname test list;
proc options option=obs; run;
%test
]]
endsubmit;
run;

filename test list;
libname test list;
proc options option=obs; run;
%test

How to call LUA file?

As we know, LUA is great fit to SAS. Here are some tips on how to integrate LUA file into SAS.

For example, the LUA file is at c:\lua\test.lua

/* #1. using INFILE option of PROC LUA */
FILENAME LUAPATH "c:\lua";
PROC LUA INFILE="test"; RUN;

/* #2. leverage current folder */
X "CD c:\lua";
PROC LUA;
SUBMIT;
dofile("test.lua")
ENDSUBMIT;
RUN;

/* #3. using absolute path */
PROC LUA;
SUBMIT;
dofile(c:\\lua\\test.lua) -- escape backslash character
dofile [[c:\lua\test.lua]] -- or using [[ and ]]
ENDSUBMIT;
RUN;

/* #4. %INCLUDE statement supports both SAS and LUA starting from 9.4 */
%INCLUDE "c:\lua\test.lua";

/* $5. passed by SUBMIT option */
%let luaname=c:\lua\test.lua;

PROC LUA;
SUBMIT "name=[[&luaname]]";
    print(name)
    dofile(name)
ENDSUBMIT;
RUN;

New way to keep data structure in DATA step

In most time, you don't want to add any new variable in DATA step. Normally we create one list of all original variables before DATA step. Actually we can have better way to address this. Please see codes at below:

DATA TEST (DROP=START -- END);
    IF 0 THEN SET SASHELP.CLASS;
    IF 0 THEN START = 0;

    SET SASHELP.CLASS;

    A=1;B=1; * Test Variables;

    IF 0 THEN END = 0;
RUN; 

How to set Environment Variable

options set=varname "varvalue"; /* set environment variable*/
%put %sysfunc(sysget(varname));

options set=varname="varvalue"; /* set environment variable*/
%put %sysfunc(sysget(varname));