topic Re: Date to Numeric Conversion in SAS Programming

Date to Numeric Conversion

TB2 — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 20:30:24 GMT

I am trying to convert a date variable into an 8 digit numeric field (YYYYMMDD).

Currently it is in MMDDYY10. format and informat.

Example:

What is occuring:

Current_DATE = 08/01/2015

What I want:

Current_Date = 20150801

Any suggestions?

Re: Date to Numeric Conversion

LinusH — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 20:34:18 GMT

First question: why?

Storing as a date will give you all the flexibility of using formats and functions adopted for dates.

If you persist, nest input() and put() functions.

Re: Date to Numeric Conversion

Reeza — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 20:37:32 GMT

You can Keep it as a SAS date but display it that way

format date yymmddn8.;

Re: Date to Numeric Conversion

TB2 — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 20:59:54 GMT

Thanks.

I am setting up datasets to run through a SAS program that someone else wrote. The instructions say to use numeric values for dates.

Here is the code I used for reference:

DATA ENROLLMENT_UPDATE;
  SET ENROLLMENT;
  DOBNEW=input(PUT(DOB, yymmddn8.),8.);
RUN;

Re: Date to Numeric Conversion

Astounding — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 21:04:10 GMT

DOB is (probably) already numeric. So when you say that the program expects numeric values, you need to know which numeric values it expects. It may be that you don't need to change a thing.