PROC CONTENTS type format

[magicdj]

PROC CONTENTS has an OUT= option to ouput a dataset with variable attributes. type=1 is numeric and type=2 is character.  how to make it show as Num or Char instead of 1 or 2 in vars dataset?

   proc contents data=sashelp.class out=vars;
   run;

   proc print data=vars noobs;
     var varnum name type length;
   run;

[novinosrin]

Hi @magicdj  Switch to using Dictionary tables-

proc sql;
  create table vars_new as
  select *
  from dictionary.columns
  where libname = 'SASHELP' and memname = 'CLASS' ;
quit ;

Library Name	Member Name	Member Type	Column Name	Column Type	Column Length	Column Position	Column Number in Table	Column Label	Column Format	Column Informat	Column Index Type	Order in Key Sequence	Extended Type	Not NULL?	Precision	Scale	Transcoded?
SASHELP	CLASS	DATA	Name	char	8	24	1					0	char	no	0	.	yes
SASHELP	CLASS	DATA	Sex	char	1	32	2					0	char	no	0	.	yes
SASHELP	CLASS	DATA	Age	num	8	0	3					0	num	no	0	.	yes
SASHELP	CLASS	DATA	Height	num	8	8	4					0	num	no	0	.	yes
SASHELP	CLASS	DATA	Weight	num	8	16	5					0	num	no	0	.	yes

[Tom · Accepted solution]

Define a format.

proc format;
value type 1='num' 2='char';
run;
proc print data=vars noobs;
  var varnum name type length format label;
  format type type.;
run;