Scripting Guide - SAS

Chapter 5 JSL Building Blocks 83
Iterate
); Ends the loop.
Infinite Loops
For loops that always evaluate as true create an infinite loop, which never stops. To end the loop as the
script runs, press ESC on Windows (or COMMAND-PERIOD on Macintosh).
Comparing For Loops in JSL to C and C++
The JSL For() loop works just like it does in the C (and C++) programming language, although the
punctuation is different.
Tip: If you know C, watch out for the difference between JSL and C in the use of semicolons and commas.
In JSL, For() is a function where commas separate arguments and semicolons join expressions. In C, for is
a special clause where semicolons separate arguments and commas join them.
While
A related function is While(), which repeatedly tests the condition and evaluates its body script as long as
the condition is true. The syntax is:
While(condition, body);
For example, here are two different programs that use a While() loop to find the least power of 2 that is
greater than or equal to x (287). The result of both programs is 512.
x = 287;
// loop 1:
y = 1;
While(y < x, y *= 2);
Show(y);
// loop 2:
k = 0;
While(2 ^ k < x, k++);
Show(2 ^ k);
The scripts work like this:
x = 287; Sets x to 287.
// loop 1
y = 1; Sets y to 1.
While(
y < x,
Begins the While() loop.
As long as y is less than x, continues evaluating the loop.