title: "Expecting a Name" (SAS) Proc Panel
body: <p>I am receiving a very frustrating SAS error when trying to use PROC PANEL.</p>
  
  <p>"Expecting a name"</p>
  
  <p>I have created some sample code that reproduces the error. Any ideas on what I'm missing?</p>
  
  <pre><code>876        PROC SORT DATA=TEMP OUT=TEMPSORTED;
  877         BY OBS_DATE;
  878        RUN;
  
  NOTE: There were 26 observations read from the data set WORK.TEMP.
  NOTE: The data set WORK.TEMPSORTED has 26 observations and 2 variables.
  NOTE: PROCEDURE SORT used (Total process time):
        real time           0.02 seconds
        cpu time            0.01 seconds
  
  
  879        
  880        PROC PANEL DATA=TEMPSORTED;
  881         ID OBS_DATE;
                         _
                         22
  ****ERROR 22-322: Expecting a name.****  
  882         LAG DEGREES_F(1) / OUT=TEMP_W_LAG;
  ERROR: Variable NAME not found.
  883        RUN;
  
  NOTE: The SAS System stopped processing this step because of errors.
  NOTE: PROCEDURE PANEL used (Total process time):
        real time           0.06 seconds
        cpu time            0.00 seconds
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Here is an entire section of code which reproduces the error:</p>
  
  <pre><code>DATA TEMP;
      INPUT OBS_DATE mmddyy10. DEGREES_F @17;
      FORMAT OBS_DATE mmddyy10.;
      datalines;
  11/01/2014  44
  11/02/2014  53
  11/03/2014  64
  11/04/2014  61
  11/05/2014  63
  11/06/2014  52
  11/07/2014  45
  11/08/2014  49
  11/09/2014  53
  11/10/2014  65
  11/11/2014  61
  11/12/2014  33
  11/13/2014  31
  11/14/2014  29
  11/15/2014  33
  11/16/2014  33
  11/17/2014  25
  11/18/2014  21
  11/19/2014  33
  11/20/2014  30
  11/21/2014  36
  11/22/2014  54
  11/23/2014  54
  11/24/2014  51
  11/25/2014  30
  11/26/2014  32
  ;
  
  PROC SORT DATA=TEMP OUT=TEMPSORTED; 
      BY OBS_DATE; 
  RUN;
  
  PROC PANEL DATA=TEMPSORTED;
      ID OBS_DATE;
      LAG DEGREES_F(1) / OUT=TEMP_W_LAG;
  RUN;
  </code></pre>