topic Re: Changing numeric datetime to SAS datetime in New SAS User

Changing numeric datetime to SAS datetime

katies — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 19:50:34 GMT

I'm using an Access database that generates a 16-digit date time (e.g. 30May2019 0:00:00.0000).

SAS imports this as a numeric field with format datetime16. How do I change it to a SAS datetime? I'm trying the code below, but I end up with a numeric field, not a date.

Induct1=Input(put(InductDateActual,datetime16.), datetime16.);

Re: Changing numeric datetime to SAS datetime

Tom — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 20:00:07 GMT

@katies wrote:

I'm using an Access database that generates a 16-digit date time (e.g. 30May2019 0:00:00.0000).

SAS imports this as a numeric field with format datetime16. How do I change it to a SAS datetime? I'm trying the code below, but I end up with a numeric field, not a date.

Induct1=Input(put(InductDateActual,datetime16.), datetime16.);

I don't understand the question. If it is a numeric variable with a DATETIME type format, like DATETIME itself, attached to it then it IS a SAS datetime value. Do the values not look right when printed? Do you want to print thme using a different format? Like DATETIME20. ? Or DTDATE9. ?

Re: Changing numeric datetime to SAS datetime

katies — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 20:59:38 GMT

When I try to manipulate it, I end up with missing values or asterisks.

E.g. datepart(InductDateActual); returns only missing values.

Re: Changing numeric datetime to SAS datetime

PGStats — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 21:40:55 GMT

Asterisks may only mean that the display area is not wide enough. Try making it wider to display the formatted value.

Re: Changing numeric datetime to SAS datetime

katies — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 22:01:02 GMT

I'm getting missing values from the datepart function, not asterisks.

Re: Changing numeric datetime to SAS datetime

FreelanceReinh — Fri, 04 Oct 2019 10:08:49 GMT

@katies wrote:

I'm getting missing values from the datepart function, not asterisks.

This happens if the argument of the datepart function is either itself missing or invalid or out of range (like from a year <1582 or >20000).

To give us a bigger picture, please show us the output of the PROC MEANS step below:

proc means data=your_dataset n nmiss min q1 median q3 max;
var InductDateActual;
run;

Re: Changing numeric datetime to SAS datetime

Tom — Fri, 04 Oct 2019 12:35:28 GMT

@katies wrote:

When I try to manipulate it, I end up with missing values or asterisks.

E.g. datepart(InductDateActual); returns only missing values.

For that function to return a missing value the variable INDUCTDATEACTUAL must have a missing value. All it basically does is convert seconds to days by dividing by the number of seconds in a day.

Check your variable. Check your code for typos or other mistakes.