topic Re: length and format not coming correct in SAS Programming

length and format not coming correct

shubham1 — Thu, 19 Sep 2019 17:00:43 GMT

Hello

Below code was running on host SAS

data long;
  length name $ 8;
  format name $8.;
  infile datalines dsd;
  input name;
datalines4;
aaaaaaaa
bbbbbbbb
cccccccc
dddddddd
;;;;
run; 
 
data short;
  length name $ 4;
  format name $4.;
  infile datalines dsd;
  input name;
datalines4;
eeee
ffff
gggg
hhhh
;;;;
run;
 
data longfirst;
  set long short;
run;

when this code was running on SAS Host

dataset longfirst has variable name with length 8 and format $8.

Name

aaaaaaaa

bbbbbbbb

cccccccc

dddddddd

eeee

ffff

gggg

hhhh

But when I am running the same code on SAS 9.4 on windows

dataset longfirst has output with variable name has length 8 and format $4.

name

aaaa

bbbb

cccc

dddd

eeee

ffff

gggg

hhhh

My question is when i am running the same code on windows why variable name has format $4. due to which output data is not showing correct ?

Re: length and format not coming correct

ballardw — Thu, 19 Sep 2019 18:00:26 GMT

@shubham1 wrote:

Hello

Below code was running on host SAS
data long;
  length name $ 8;
  format name $8.;
  infile datalines dsd;
  input name;
datalines4;
aaaaaaaa
bbbbbbbb
cccccccc
dddddddd
;;;;
run; 
 
data short;
  length name $ 4;
  format name $4.;
  infile datalines dsd;
  input name;
datalines4;
eeee
ffff
gggg
hhhh
;;;;
run;
 
data longfirst;
  set long short;
run;
when this code was running on SAS Host

dataset longfirst has variable name with length 8 and format $8.

Name

aaaaaaaa

bbbbbbbb

cccccccc

dddddddd

eeee

ffff

gggg

hhhh

But when I am running the same code on SAS 9.4 on windows

dataset longfirst has output with variable name has length 8 and format $4.

name

aaaa

bbbb

cccc

dddd

eeee

ffff

gggg

hhhh

My question is when i am running the same code on windows why variable name has format $4. due to which output data is not showing correct ?

Show the exact code as run copied from the log with any messages. You describe for your Windows run what would happen with :

data longfirst;
  set  short long;
run;

I ran your code on a Windows stand alone SAS install and Name is length 8 with format $8.

Re: length and format not coming correct

Tom — Thu, 19 Sep 2019 21:07:46 GMT

The result you explain is not possible. Please check what you have done.

When you are setting multiple datasets together like that the first place SAS sees the variable will determine the variables type (and length). The first place where there is a non-empty format attached will determine what format is attached.

So you must have done this:

data long;
  length x $8 ;
run;
data short;
  length x $4 ;
  format x $4. ;
run;

data long_short ;
  set long short ;
run;

Instead of what you described.

This is why I recommend to NOT attach $ format to any character variables. And rant at posters that use FORMAT statement as if it was intended to DEFINE the variables. The FORMAT statement is for attaching a default format to use when display a variable. It will only define the variable as a side effect when it is the first place that the compiler sees the variable referenced.