Trying to update table values from another table in SAS w/ Proc Sql

Question

I have a table (EM_UPLOAD) that I've created that I want to update values on in another table (QUESTVAR_CASEITEM). The values in the QUESTVAR table are null and I'm making them not null. I'm attempting to do this with the following code:

    PROC SQL;
    UPDATE CD1PROD.QUESTVAR_CASEITEM a
    SET a.DEBIT_ENTRYMODE=(SELECT EM
      FROM EM_UPLOAD b
      WHERE A.SEQCASEITEM = B.CASEITEM)
      WHERE SEQCASEITEM IN (SELECT CASEITEM FROM EM_UPLOAD);
    QUIT;

It keeps erroring out on the SET line saying it's expecting an = when an = is already there...

The log dump is as follows:

1          ;*';*";*/;quit;run;
2          OPTIONS PAGENO=MIN;
3          %LET _CLIENTTASKLABEL='EM_UPDATE_TESTING';
4          %LET _CLIENTPROCESSFLOWNAME='Process Flow';
5          %LET _CLIENTPROJECTPATH='';
6          %LET _CLIENTPROJECTPATHHOST='';
7          %LET _CLIENTPROJECTNAME='';
8          %LET _SASPROGRAMFILE='[REDACTED]';
9          %LET _SASPROGRAMFILEHOST='W7LT110183466';
10         
11         ODS _ALL_ CLOSE;
12         OPTIONS DEV=PNG;
13         GOPTIONS XPIXELS=0 YPIXELS=0;
14         FILENAME EGSR TEMP;
15         ODS tagsets.sasreport13(ID=EGSR) FILE=EGSR
16             STYLE=HTMLBlue
17             STYLESHEET=(URL="file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/SAS94/x86/SASEnterpriseGuide/7.1/Styles/HTMLBlue.css")
18             NOGTITLE
19             NOGFOOTNOTE
20             GPATH=&sasworklocation
21             ENCODING=UTF8
22             options(rolap="on")
23         ;
NOTE: Writing TAGSETS.SASREPORT13(EGSR) Body file: EGSR
24         
25         GOPTIONS ACCESSIBLE;
26         LIBNAME CD1PROD SQLSVR USER='XXXXXXXXXXXXXX' PASSWORD=XXXXXXXXXX DSN=STGRAMIHQSQLF18adjhub SCHEMA=DBO QUALIFIER=AdjHub;
NOTE: Libref CD1PROD was successfully assigned as follows: 
      Engine:        SQLSVR 
      Physical Name: STGRAMIHQSQLF18adjhub
27         /*Update EM field in LEAN*/


28         PROC SQL;
29         UPDATE CD1PROD.QUESTVAR_CASEITEM as a
30         SET A.DEBIT_ENTRYMODE = (SELECT EM
                _
                73
                76
ERROR 73-322: Expecting an =.

ERROR 76-322: Syntax error, statement will be ignored.

31          FROM EM_UPLOAD  as b
32          WHERE a.SEQCASEITEM = b.caseitem)
33         WHERE SEQCASEITEM IN (SELECT caseitem FROM EM_UPLOAD);
NOTE: PROC SQL set option NOEXEC and will continue to check the syntax of statements.
34         QUIT;
NOTE: The SAS System stopped processing this step because of errors.
NOTE: PROCEDURE SQL used (Total process time):
      real time           0.00 seconds
      cpu time            0.00 seconds
      
35         
36         GOPTIONS NOACCESSIBLE;
37         %LET _CLIENTTASKLABEL=;
38         %LET _CLIENTPROCESSFLOWNAME=;
39         %LET _CLIENTPROJECTPATH=;
2                                                          The SAS System                             15:33 Monday, January 25, 2021

40         %LET _CLIENTPROJECTPATHHOST=;
41         %LET _CLIENTPROJECTNAME=;
42         %LET _SASPROGRAMFILE=;
43         %LET _SASPROGRAMFILEHOST=;
44         
45         ;*';*";*/;quit;run;
46         ODS _ALL_ CLOSE;
47         
48         
49         QUIT; RUN;
50         

Answer 1

Try removing the alias from the target variable name. You can only update variables in a single dataset so perhaps it is confusing things.

... SET DEBIT_ENTRYMODE= ...

Unless EM_UPLOAD only has one observation you probably want to modify the WHERE clause of your UPDATE statement.

WHERE SEQCASEITEM IN (SELECT CASEITEM FROM EM_UPLOAD);