How to print the current date and time in the SAS Output window

[ren2010]

Hi,

I came across this article on "How to print the current date and time in the SAS Output window instead of the date and time that the SAS session was started" on Support.sas.com,also there is a sample code:

options nodate;
data _null_;
call symput ('timenow',put (time(),time.));
call symput ('datenow',put (date(),date9.));
run;

title "The current time is &timenow and the date is &datenow";

I am using sas 9.1.3,but when i tried to run this ,i dont see any values displayed,and do not see any error messages in the log.I appreciate if anyone has any idea why this is happening.

Thanks,
Ren

[Cynthia_sas · Accepted solution]

Hi:
Are you following your TITLE statement with a procedure or some process that -uses- a TITLE statement??? Normally, the title statement by itself just changes the title in the SAS "holding area" for titles. You wouldn't see the results of the TITLE statement unless you did this:

options nodate;
data _null_;
call symput ('timenow',put (time(),time.));
call symput ('datenow',put (date(),date9.));
run;

title "The current time is &timenow and the date is &datenow";
ods listing;
proc print data=sashelp.class;
run;

cynthia

Also from @Doc_Duke:

Be aware that the title is somewhat misleading. That method prints the date and time the DATA _NULL_; step was run, not the "current" date and time (It was current then but may not be current when printed.). That doesn't matter much for short jobs, but can be an important difference in definition for ones that run for hours or days. Look at http://support.sas.com/kb/8/682.html for an option that gets "closer" to current.

[ren2010]

Thanks Cynthia

[sbb]

It's not until your next PROC or DATA step execution will reflect the current TITLE declared.

Scott Barry
SBBWorks, Inc.

[ren2010]

Thanks Scott

[Doc_Duke]

Be aware that the title is somewhat misleading. That method prints the date and time the DATA _NULL_; step was run, not the "current" date and time (It was current then but may not be current when printed.). That doesn't matter much for short jobs, but can be an important difference in definition for ones that run for hours or days. Look at http://support.sas.com/kb/8/682.html for an option that gets "closer" to current.

Doc Muhlbaier
Duke