Different Users, Different Results for a Format

[DRP]

I am new to SAS, but I need to explain a strange behaviour. Could you help me understand this :

- With my user, when I use a format defined by my company, I get the a good result.
data Code_Desc;
set LIB.MY_TABLE;
DESC = put(Code, $cpy_desc.);
run;

- With another user, the same code, give a different DESC.

What could be the reason for these different results ? Is it possible that we have 2 format with the same name on the server and that it's not the same depending on the user ?

Thanks.

[sbb]

When you mention: "...different results "? -- presuming the results are not just truncated or some data-display issue but a "complete value difference"?

And one must presume that you are comparing the combination of values for variables CODE and DESC, correct?

Given these assumptions, yes, it is possible that your SAS CONFIG OPTIONS setting for FMTSEARCH=(...) is different, which could explain the behavior. You can compare these settings using this command:

proc options option=fmtsearch;
run;

...or...

%PUT >DIAG> FMTSEARCH IS: %SYSFUNC(GETOPTION(FMTSEARCH));

Then you will need to investigate the format catalogs displayed above, and use this SAS code piece to reveal each format's contents:

PROC FORMAT PRINT LIB=.;
SELECT $CPY_DESC;
RUN;

Scott Barry
SBBWorks, Inc.