Hi:
I'm not entirely sure I understand what you want, but this note describes how to use PRELOADFMT and ORDER=DATA to ensure that you get the order you want with multi-label formats.
http://support.sas.com/kb/12/904.html
The simplified code below shows how to use TABULATE to get the formats in the order you want, with regular formats and with multilabel formats. The PRELOADFMT option loads the format as it is stored and the NOTSORTED in PROC FORMAT ensures that the format is stored in the order you defined. Either with or without multi-label formats, you can get the CLASS variables in the order you want.
cynthia
[pre]
proc format;
value agemlf (multilabel notsorted)
11-12='pre-teen'
13-19='teenager'
11-14='non-driver'
15-high='driver';
value regage (notsorted)
11-12 = 'Z'
13-14 = 'A'
15-high='H';
run;
proc sort data=sashelp.class out=class;
by age;
run;
proc tabulate data=class;
title 'PRELOADFMT and Formats In My Order';
class age / preloadfmt order=data;
var height;
table height*(min mean max),
age;
format age regage.;
run;
proc tabulate data=class;
title 'Using MLF and PRELOADFMT and Formats in My Order';
class age / mlf preloadfmt order=data;
var height;
table height*(min mean max),
age;
format age agemlf.;
run;
[/pre]
