topic Re: proc sql generate timestamp in SAS Programming

proc sql generate timestamp

metallon — Mon, 02 May 2016 12:40:25 GMT

Hi SAS Experts,

I need to create an XML file that has a unique ID every time I generte it.

The data fo create the XML is extracted from a sas data set using proc sql and now I wonder

how to generate a unique timestamp, preferable something just numbers.

proc sql;
   create table VDR as
   select
%sysfunc(datetime(),datetime18.)
from sashelp.class;
   run;

Any ideas?

Re: proc sql generate timestamp

Manu_SAS — Mon, 02 May 2016 13:16:41 GMT

Hi,

proc sql;
select *, put(datetime(),datetime18.) as timestamp from sashelp.class;
quit;

Regards,

Manohar

Re: proc sql generate timestamp

LinusH — Tue, 03 May 2016 05:04:57 GMT

Why store it as char? Use format=datetime 18

Also, using automatic macro variable may be more efficient than using functions:
"&sysdate:&systime"dt
One drawback with thus this will only give you the minute.