Format question

[Alucard_L]

If now I have a data like

obs     x

1        1

2        0

3        0

4        1

5        0

Variable x is numeric. The format of x is 2.

if I want to convert 1 to 1.5, the output is like

obs    x

1        2

2        0

3        0

4        2

5        0

Because SAS rounded 1.5 to 2 due to the format.

If I add a format statement like format x 1.1;

Then the output is like

obs    x

1        1.5

2        0.0

3        0.0

4        1.5

5        0.0

My question is that how do I change the format to get a output like

obs    x

1        1.5

2        0

3        0

4        1.5

5        0

and x is still a numeric value.

Thanks.

[kiranv_]

data a;
format val 2.1;
val = 1.5;
run;

data a;
format val 3.1;
val = 1.5;
run;

 run above code.  for example in 3.1 format 3 belongs to  total length and 1 belong to number of decimals. so the format can display 1.5 accurately,  with format 2.1 the total total length 2 is smaller than your value hence it rounds up

[Patrick]

@Alucard_L

With numeric SAS formats and if you don't require something specific like thousand separators then normally not applying any format (which then uses default BEST32.) or a format of 32. returns normally what you want.

Only use the decimal bit in a format if you need the displayed values rounded to a certain precision and you want always to display the decimals, i.e. for 2 decimals after the comma 32.2 would do the job.