Picture Format - fractional seconds

[agoldma]

The current documentation on the picture format seems to imply that we should use both the %S and the %s directives in order to display the seconds and the fractional seconds. From what I see (in SAS version 9.04.01 M4) we should use only the %s directive by itself. It displays both the full and the fractional seconds.

Example:

proc format;
   picture fm_db2_date_time  (default=26)
   other = '%Y-%0m-%0d %0H:%0M:%000000s'  (datatype=datetime)
   ;
run;
proc sql;
   select dhms('01may2012'd,13,5,2.876543)  format=datetime26.6           'built-in format'
         ,dhms('01may2012'd,13,5,2.876543)  format=fm_db2_date_time26.6   'picture format'
   from   sashelp.class(obs=1)
;quit;

I wanted to submit a request for a usage note, but I couldn't find how to do that.

[ballardw]

Some of the behavior differences are more obvious when you do not provide the w.d at use.

Such as:

proc format library=work;
   picture fm_db2_me  (default=26)
   other = '%Y-%0m-%0d %0H:%0M:%0S.%s'  (datatype=datetime)
   ;
   picture fm_db2_date_time  (default=26)
   other = '%Y-%0m-%0d %0H:%0M:%000000s'  (datatype=datetime)
   ;
run;

data _null_;
   x='01may2012:13:05:02.1234567'dt;
   put "datetime format " @25 x= datetime.    ;
   put "fm_db2_date_time format " @25 x= fm_db2_date_time. ;
   put "fm_db2_me format " @25 x=fm_db2_me.;
run;

where the format with %0S and %s shows a different number of displayed characters even though it has the same default length.

[agoldma]

Thank you for showing a common difficulty -- forgetting to use w.d with decimals
That's exactly what I was doing wrong before I remembered to use the decimals

[Reeza · Accepted solution]

@agoldma for something like this you can either contact tech support or post on SASware Ballot section where it can be voted on. 

https://communities.sas.com/t5/SASware-Ballot-Ideas/idb-p/sas_ideas