topic Re: Retrieve formats created in different operating system in SAS Programming

Retrieve formats created in different operating system

rgr1_ — Fri, 29 Nov 2019 05:32:41 GMT

Is there any way to retrieve information about formats that are created in different operating system? There is no way to find out what operating system was used to create the format.

Re: Retrieve formats created in different operating system

SASKiwi — Fri, 29 Nov 2019 06:03:52 GMT

SAS formats are stored in SAS catalogs and as well as being OS-specific they are different depending on the bitness of the SAS version used to create them. Obviously the best way to recreate SAS formats is from the PROC FORMAT source code used to build them in the first place. Have you tried listing what is in the catalog?

proc format cntllib = MyLib.MyFormats;
run;

Contacting SAS Tech Support is another option. They are likely to have special tools for dealing with problems like this.

Re: Retrieve formats created in different operating system

Kurt_Bremser — Fri, 29 Nov 2019 06:59:59 GMT

Just run the code that created the format originally.

Re: Retrieve formats created in different operating system

rgr1_ — Fri, 29 Nov 2019 07:55:04 GMT

Hi. Was that proc format cntlin option? If so, It will not work since format is created in different operating system.

Re: Retrieve formats created in different operating system

rgr1_ — Fri, 29 Nov 2019 07:56:12 GMT

I don't have the code available. Only catalogue file.

Re: Retrieve formats created in different operating system

Kurt_Bremser — Fri, 29 Nov 2019 08:57:57 GMT

Then your best bet is SAS technical support, or anybody else that can provide the original combination of operating system and SAS version.

Also see Maxims 26 & 27.

And let this be an object lesson that SAS catalogs are the worst means of long-term storage.