Replacing Spaces in a macro variable value with the quotes with space

Question

I want to replace space between variables passed in a macro variable with double quotes with space, i.e. " ". Please find below the code I am using for the same and the result I am getting.

%let str7=ABC DEF UVW XYZ;

%let str8 = %qsysfunc(quote(%qsysfunc(tranwrd(%qsysfunc(compbl(%qsysfunc(strip(%upcase(&str7.))))),%str( ),%nrstr(%")))));

%put ^^^^&str8;

The Log Displays:

18 %put ^^^^&str8;

^^^^"ABC""DEF""UVW""XYZ"

I need this to be "ABC" "DEF" "UVW" "XYZ".

I have also tried the following...

proc fcmp outlib=work.funcs.funcs;

    function delimit_words(iString $) $;    
    result = '"' || tranwrd(cats(compbl(iString))," ", '" ,"') || '"';    
    return (result );
    endsub;

run;


%let x =   A  B  C   ;
%let y = %sysfunc(delimit_words(&x));
%put &y;

but it gives me following error...

ERROR: The DELIMIT_WORDS function referenced in the %SYSFUNC or %QSYSFUNC macro function is not found.

I have used the following approach given by Jeff.

   data test;
   id =1; _var="ABC"; output;
   id =1; _var="DEF"; output;
   id =1; _var="UVW"; output;
   id =2; _var="UVW"; output;
   id =3; _var="ABC"; output;
   id =3; _var="UVW"; output;
   id =3; _var="XYZ"; output;
   id =4; _var="ABC"; output;
   id =4; _var="XYZ"; output;
run;

%macro __test1(_byvar=, _qnam=, _id=);
    proc sort data= test out=_test;
        by &_byvar.;

  %if %superq(_qnam) ne %then
  %do; 
            %let __tmpmv_qnam = %qsysfunc(prxchange(%bquote(s/\b/"/),-1,%bquote(&_qnam))); 
            *";
            %put ^^^^^&__tmpmv_qnam.;
      where upcase(&_id) in (&__tmpmv_qnam);
  %end;

    run;

%mend;

%__test1 (_byvar=id ,_qnam = ABC UVW, _id=_var);

The log diaplayed following error:

SYMBOLGEN:  Macro variable _QNAM resolves to ABC UVW  
ERROR: Literal contains unmatched quote.

Please help on this one.

Answer 1

Without debugging either of your approaches above, I can offer a third:

%let str8 = %sysfunc(prxchange(%bquote(s/\b/"/),-1,%quote(&str7.)));
*";

The prxchange() function tells SAS to replace every word boundary (\b) with a ". As far as when to use bquote(), vs quote(), it's all documented online, but honestly I usually resort to trial and error.

The *"; does nothing, but it makes things look nicer if your editor's syntax highlighting gets confused by the single quote (like mine does).