topic Re: Having trouble with INFORMAT in SAS Programming

Having trouble with INFORMAT

Newtrix — Mon, 11 Nov 2019 13:41:22 GMT

Reading a data file into SAS. 1st 2 datalines are as follows:

1 New York 07/19/1966 05/10/2015 107 No
2 New Jersey 11/10/1964 . 130 Yes

Code I've written:

DATA Homwrk1;
INFILE '/folders/myfolders/hw1_data.txt';
INPUT @1 ID SITE $ 5-14 @20 DOB @35 START @50 GLUCOSE @57 DIABETES $;
INFORMAT DOB START MMDDYY10.;
RUN;

Output on date variables is giving me days before/since Jan 1, 1960. Isn't INFORMAT supposed to correct this?

Thanks in advance -

Re: Having trouble with INFORMAT

art297 — Mon, 11 Nov 2019 13:56:53 GMT

No. Informat tells SAS how to read data. The FORMAT statement tells SAS how to display variable values.

Art, CEO, AnalystFinder.com

Re: Having trouble with INFORMAT

Newtrix — Mon, 11 Nov 2019 14:03:15 GMT

Thank you!

Re: Having trouble with INFORMAT

Cynthia_sas — Mon, 11 Nov 2019 14:20:05 GMT

Hi:
INFORMAT tells SAS how to read IN the "raw" data (meaning what pattern or format is the data in when SAS is reading it). The FORMAT tells SAS how to display or show the data on reports. If you want your dates to be displayed in procedure output as readable dates (instead of the number of days since Jan 1, 1960), then you need to also have a FORMAT statement in your code.
Cynthia

Re: Having trouble with INFORMAT

Kurt_Bremser — Mon, 11 Nov 2019 15:01:57 GMT

When posting data, use the window opened with the {i} button. The main posting window compresses whitespace (blanks, tabs), so the data as posted does not match your input statement at all.

Similarly, use the "little running man" for code. This keeps the code "as is" and adds coloring like the Enhanced Editor.