Annotate Error Messages

If there is an error in your Annotate data set, one or more diagnostic messages are printed in the SAS log. A partial list of these messages is supplied here. Annotate data sets are checked for errors this way:
  • If an error is found in preprocessing, this message appears:
    NOTE: ERROR DETECTED IN ANNOTATE= libref.dataset
  • If an error is found as an observation is being read, this message appears:
    PROBLEM IN OBSERVATION numbermessage
    where message is the text of the error message.
  • If the error limit of 20 errors is reached at any point during processing of the data set, a termination message similar to this one appears:
    ERROR LIMIT REACHED IN ANNOTATE PROCESS
    
                  20 TOTAL ERRORS
Some common diagnostic messages are explained here.
A CALCULATED COORDINATE LIES OUTSIDE THE VISIBLE AREA
Explanation: The x or y coordinate is outside the display area (defined by HPOS= and VPOS= values).
User Action: Check for an invalid or misspecified coordinate system value, or x or y values outside displayed range.
A CALCULATED WINDOW COORDINATE LIES OUTSIDE THE WINDOW AREA
Explanation: the x or y coordinate is outside of the window area. This message might accompany the message for invalid coordinate system specification.
User Action: Check for an invalid or misspecified coordinate system value, or x or y values outside displayed range.
A PERCENTAGE VALUE LIES OUTSIDE 0 TO 100 BOUNDARIES
Explanation: The x or y value requested is negative or greater than 100%. This message is informational.
User Action: Check requested value for accuracy.
ANNOTATE MIDPOINT DATATYPE DOES NOT MATCH GCHART- INPUT WAS #
Explanation: The MIDPOINT variable in the Annotate data set is character, and the GCHART midpoint is numeric or vice versa.
User Action: Check for misspelling or wrong variable assignment, or check for quotes in the assignment statement.
ANNOTATE GROUP DATATYPE DOES NOT MATCH GCHART- INPUT WAS #
Explanation: The GROUP variable in the Annotate data set is character, and the GCHART group is numeric or vice versa.
User Action: Check for misspelling or wrong variable assignment, or check for quotes in the assignment statement.
ANNOTATE SUBGROUP DATATYPE DOES NOT MATCH GCHART- INPUT WAS #
Explanation: The SUBGROUP variable in the Annotate data set is character, and the GCHART subgroup is numeric or vice versa.
User Action: Check for misspelling or wrong variable assignment, or check for quotes in the assignment statement.
BOTH OLD AND NEW VARIABLE NAMES ENCOUNTERED IN ANNOTATE= DATA SET
Explanation: Variables named both MIDPOINT and MIDPNT or SUBGROUP and SUBGRP occur in the Annotate data set.
User Action: Determine which variable has the proper values for the Annotate data set and either delete the other variable or rename MIDPNT to MIDPOINT and SUBGRP to SUBGROUP.
CALCULATED COORDINATES LIE COMPLETELY OFF THE VISIBLE AREA
Explanation: Both the x and y coordinates supplied are outside the visible display area.
User Action: Check for improper or inappropriate coordinate system specification or coordinates out of range.
CANNOT HAVE MISSING GROUP VALUE IF GROUPS ARE PRESENT
Explanation: The GROUP variable in the Annotate data set contains a missing value.
User Action: If the GROUP= option is specified in the GCHART procedure, the Annotate GROUP variable cannot contain missing values. Remove the missing value from the request. Check reference system for data-dependent request.
CANNOT HAVE SUBGROUP AND X/Y MISSING IN GCHART STREAM
Explanation: Data coordinate system was requested and the X, Y and SUBGROUP variables contain missing values.
User Action: The X, Y or SUBGROUP variable must have a value if a data coordinate system is requested. Check stream for improper request.
CANNOT OMIT GROUP VARIABLE IF GCHART GROUPS ARE PRESENT
Explanation: You used a data coordinate system and specified GROUP= in the GCHART procedure, but the Annotate data set does not contain the GROUP variable.
User Action: Supply the GROUP variable in the Annotate data set.
CHARACTER VALUE SHOWN IS NOT ON THE HORIZONTAL AXIS
Explanation: The specified value of the XC variable is not on the x axis of the graph or chart. The observation is ignored.
User Action: Check for misspelling, for uppercase or lowercase conflict, or for exclusion in an axis specification.
CHARACTER VALUE SHOWN IS NOT ON THE VERTICAL AXIS
Explanation: The specified value of the YC variable does not occur on the y axis of the graph or chart. The observation is ignored.
User Action: Check for misspelling, for uppercase or lowercase conflict, or for exclusion in an axis specification.
CONFLICT BETWEEN PROCEDURE AXIS TYPE AND ANNOTATE DATA TYPE
Explanation: The axis type is character and the x and y coordinates are numeric or vice versa.
User Action: Check values for proper type matching.
DATA SYSTEM NOT SUPPORTED FOR THIS STATEMENT
Explanation: The data coordinate systems 1, 2, 7, 8 are not permitted for this statement.
User Action: Choose a different reference system for this observation.
DATA SYSTEM REQUESTED, BUT POINT IS NOT ON GRAPH
Explanation: The coordinate specified is not on displayed graph, and data coordinate system placement has been requested.
User Action: Check for improper specification of data value or graph axis parameters, or incorrect system specification. If this occurs, you might be able to use percent of the data area to position Annotate graphics.
G3D DATA SYSTEM REQUESTED, ALL SYSTEMS NOT DATA DEPENDENT
Explanation: Not all requested XSYS, YSYS, and ZSYS variable values are data values.
User Action: If one variable in G3D annotation is data-dependent, all variables must be data-dependent. Either specify all points in the data coordinate system or use another reference system value.
G3D DATA SYSTEM REQUESTED, VARIABLE CONTAINED MISSING VALUE
Explanation: The X, Y, or Z variable contained a missing value.
User Action: All values in G3D data placement requests must be specified. Remove the missing value from the request.
INTERNAL SYSTEM STACK OVERFLOW- TOO MANY PUSH FUNCTIONS
Explanation: The limit of stack positions has been exhausted. The maximum number of stack positions is system-dependent. Each PUSH operation uses one position; each POP frees one position for re-use.
User Action: Rewrite the program section to decrease the number of values stored in the stack.
INTERNAL SYSTEM STACK UNDERFLOW- TOO MANY POP FUNCTIONS
Explanation: The POP function has been issued with no values in the LIFO stack.
User Action: Check for unequal numbers of PUSH versus POP functions. They can be unequal, but you cannot have more values moved with the POP function than are stored with the PUSH function. At least one PUSH must occur {it before} a POP can be issued.
LABEL FUNCTION REQUESTED, BUT TEXT VARIABLE NOT ON DATA SET
Explanation: A TEXT variable has not been found for the LABEL function.
User Action: If FUNCTION='LABEL', the TEXT variable must contain the string to be placed in the display area. Check for misspelling of variable name or specification of the wrong Annotate data set.
LINE VALUE SPECIFIED IS NOT WITHIN LIMITS- 0<=L<=3
Explanation: An invalid special line value has been specified.
User Action: The LINE value specified was not acceptable for FUNCTION='BAR' or the RECT macro. Check function for definition of line values or previous value used in DATA step prior to this observation.
LINE VALUE SPECIFIED IS NOT WITHIN LIMITS- 1<=L<=46
Explanation: The LINE value specified is not in the range 1 through 46.
User Action: Check for improper specification of data value. Line styles represented by the LINE values can be found in the Specifying Line Types.
MINIMUM VARIABLES NOT MET--AMBIGUITY PREVENTS SELECTION.
Explanation: The combinations of available X, Y, XC, YC, GROUP, MIDPOINT, and SUBGROUP variables do not identify the data-dependent values uniquely.
User Action: Check variable requirements and respecify.
MINIMUM VARIABLES NOT MET- MUST HAVE X/XC,Y/YC IN DATA SET
Explanation: The X, XC, Y, or YC variables have not been found in the Annotate data set.
User Action: The X or XC and Y or YC variables must be in the data set. This message represents a minimum validity check of the supplied Annotate data set.
POLYCONT ENCOUNTERED BEFORE POLY
Explanation: The POLYCONT function was encountered with no POLY function specification.
User Action: Probable sequencing error. Check for missing POLY command, improper ordering of polygon points, or interruption of POLY type commands by other valued functions. Also, check the value of WHEN for a mismatch.
“POLYCONT” INTERRUPTED
Explanation: A POLYCONT definition has been interrupted and resumed in the Annotate data set. This usually accompanies the error message POLYCONT ENCOUNTERED BEFORE POLY
User Action: Check data stream for proper order.
POSITION VALUE INVALID- MUST BE ONE OF “0123...9ABCDEF”
Explanation: The value of the POSITION variable is not in range '0' through '9' or 'A' through 'F' or '<', '+', or '>' in a LABEL command.
User Action: Check desired value in POSITION description and correct.
REQUESTED POLYGON CONTAINS TOO MANY VERTICES (OBSERVATIONS)
Explanation: The maximum allocation for polygon points is exhausted. The maximum number of vertices is limited by a device's memory.
User Action: Define polygon with fewer points or break polygon into sections.
SYSTEM VALUE INVALID- MUST BE ONE OF “0123...9ABC”
Explanation: The value supplied for the XSYS, YSYS, or HSYS variable is not valid.
User Action: Check the desired value and correct the data set.
TEXT STRING EXTENDS BEYOND BOUNDARY OF SYSTEM DEFINED
Explanation: The text string is too long.
User Action: Check for excessive SIZE value or shorten the string. This error could be caused by HSYS='4' and a small value of the VPOS graphics option.
USE THE XC VARIABLE FOR DATA VALUES WHEN TYPE IS CHARACTER
Explanation: The X variable is character type in the Annotate data set when it should be numeric.
User Action: If character data are being plotted, use the XC variable to specify any data-related points pertaining to character values. If data are not character, omit quotes in X data value assignment.
USE THE YC VARIABLE FOR DATA VALUES WHEN TYPE IS CHARACTER
Explanation: The Y variable is character type in the Annotate data set when it should be numeric.
User Action: If character data are being plotted, use the YC variable to specify any data-related points pertaining to character values. If data are not character, omit quotes in Y data value assignment.
VALUE SHOWN IS NOT A VALID FONT OR PATTERN TYPE
Explanation: The value of the STYLE variable is not a valid font or pattern.
User Action: Check the value supplied for misspelling, truncation, and support in the FUNCTION description.
VALUE SHOWN IS NOT A VALID FUNCTION
Explanation: The value in the FUNCTION variable is not recognized as an available function.
User Action: Check for misspellings or truncation of value. Truncation can be corrected by specifying a length of 8 bytes in the LENGTH statement in the DATA step that generates the data set.
VALUE SHOWN IS NOT A VALID SIZE FACTOR
Explanation: The SIZE value of the variable is negative or excessive.
User Action: Check request or calculation for positive value result.
VARIABLE SHOWN HAS IMPROPER LENGTH IN ANNOTATE= DATA SET
Explanation: The length is incorrect for variable indicated. Either the length of the character string exceeds the length for the variable specified in a LENGTH statement, or the variable was not specified in a LENGTH statement.
User Action: Make sure the variable length is defined in a length statement and that the length specified adequately covers the length of the character strings that are used.
VARIABLE SHOWN IS NOT OF THE PROPER DATA TYPE
Explanation: The data type does not match required type for variable listed. Either variable type is character where a numeric is required, or numeric where a character is required.
User Action: Specify proper type for variable as described in About the Annotate Variables.