topic Re: Converting numeric variable to character and add dollar sign in SAS Programming

Converting numeric variable to character and add dollar sign

nickspencer — Thu, 28 Mar 2019 12:47:52 GMT

Hi,
I have a SAS dataset that has a column AMT which is a numeric variable and has format 15.2 . I want to convert it to a character variable and also add a dollar sign. I did final_amt=put(AMT,dollar15.2) and it worked but is it the right way to do? Or is there any other correct way to do? I always thought the informat is to read the variable rather than to display but I am confused I am able to display in dollar format with informat.

Any suggestions or insight is appreciated.

Thanks

Re: Converting numeric variable to character and add dollar sign

Kurt_Bremser — Thu, 28 Mar 2019 13:02:19 GMT

put() uses a format, input() uses an informat. Your method is the correct way to do it.

Re: Converting numeric variable to character and add dollar sign

Astounding — Thu, 28 Mar 2019 13:29:37 GMT

In terms of the syntax you did it correctly. However, if you started with extremely large values, you may not have converted properly.

SAS formats specify the entire width. For example, 15.2 does NOT mean 15 digits before the decimal point, plus 2 digits after. It means a total of 15 characters including digits before the decimal point, digits after, and the decimal point itself. It also includes a negative sign if one is needed.

If your data actually contains numbers as large as 1 trillion, then the width of 15 would not be enough when using a dollar15.2 format. This number requires a width of 17:

$1,222,333,444.00

The original format of 15.2 makes me think that you might need a width of 15 without the commas and dollar sign. If that is the case, you would need a wider format when adding commas and a dollar sign, such as dollar19.2

Re: Converting numeric variable to character and add dollar sign

PaigeMiller — Thu, 28 Mar 2019 13:32:54 GMT

If you just want to display the variable AMT as a dollar sign plus some numbers, assign a format to it. No need to create a new variable.

Re: Converting numeric variable to character and add dollar sign

ballardw — Thu, 28 Mar 2019 15:52:53 GMT

I agree with @PaigeMiller that there is likely very little reason to create a character variable for most uses. One real reason not to is that values do not sort as expected.

data example;
   length x $ 15;
   x="$39.54";output;
   x="$1,000,000.00"; output;
run;

proc sort data=example;
  by x;
run;

proc print data=example;
run;

which would imply that a million is less than 39.

You could end up spending a lot of time playing with output to get things to appear the way you want in report and analysis procedures.