Performing T-sql like while loop in Proc sql sas - sas

Question

I have metrics sas table like below
work.met_table
Metrics_Id Metrics_desc
1 Count_Column
2 Sum_Column
3 Eliminate_column
I wanna do something like doing while loop in T-sql
select count(*) :cnt_tbl from work.met_table
%let init_cnt = 1
while (&init_cnt = &cnt_tbl)
begin
select Metrics_desc into :met_nm
from work.met_table
where metrics_id = 1
Insert into some_sas_table
Select * from another table where Metrics_desc =&met_nm
/* Here I wanna loop all values in metrics table one by one */
end
%put &init_cnt = &int_cnt+1;
How this can be done in proc sql? Thanks in advance

Answer 1

If you want to dynamically generate code then use the SAS macro language.
But for your example there is no need to dynamically generate code.
proc sql ;
insert into some_sas_table
select *
from another_table
where Metrics_desc in (select Metrics_desc from work.met_table)
;
quit;

Answer 2

You can also do an explicit pass through. Send your native t-sql code to run on the database Server through SAS rather than bringing the data to the SAS application server to query it.
The example below is explained in details here.
PROC SQL;
CONNECT TO ODBC(DATASRC=SQLdb USER=&SYSUSERID) ;
/* Explicit PASSTHRU with SELECT */
SELECT *
FROM CONNECTION TO ODBC (
SELECT b.idnum o.[SSdatecol] AS mydate
FROM dbo.big_SS_table1 b
LEFT JOIN dbo.other_SStable o
ON b.idnum = o.memberid
WHERE o.otherdatecol >= '2014-10-06'
--This is a T-SQL comment that works inside SQL Server
) ;
;
DISCONNECT FROM ODBC ;
QUIT;