Change the format of numeric value

[SASdevAnneMarie]

Hello Experts,

I have a numeric value with comma 

-0,165530135449

I would like to have this value with a point: -0.165530135449

Could you advise me the format please, the best32. doesn't work.

Thank you very much!

[yabwon · Accepted solution]

Try this:

data _null_;
  x = -0.165530135449;

  put x= bestx32.15;
  put x= best32.15;
  put x= comma32.15;
  put x= commax32.15;
run;


data _null_;
input x commax32.;


  put x= bestx32.15;
  put x= best32.15;
  put x= comma32.15;
  put x= commax32.15;


cards;
-0,165530135449
;
run;

[SASdevAnneMarie]

Thank you very much!
Could I do that with modify statement in proc sql? I need to modify the existing format column in the table.

[yabwon]

data have;
  x = -0.165530135449;
  format x datetime.; /* wrong format */ 
run;
proc print data = have;
run;

proc sql;
  alter table have
    modify x format=commax32.15 /* new format */
  ;
quit;
proc print data = have;
run;

B-)

[SASdevAnneMarie]

It replaces the comma by point?

[yabwon]

what do you mean by "it"?

[SASdevAnneMarie]

The format commax32.15 🙂

[PaigeMiller]

---

@SASdevAnneMarie wrote:
It replaces the comma by point?

---

Formats change the appearance of the number for the benefit of humans looking at the number; the underlying numeric value is unchanged. I don't think the word "replaces" applies here.

[SASdevAnneMarie]

Yes, it works, beacause after I can export the file with period.

[Tom]

---

@SASdevAnneMarie wrote:

Hello Experts,

I have a numeric value with comma 

-0,165530135449

I would like to have this value with a point: -0.165530135449

Could you advise me the format please, the best32. doesn't work.

Thank you very much!

---

If you have a numeric variable and it is display the decimal marker as a comma instead of a period then you have either attached a format that asks to display that way (BESTX, COMMAX, NLNUM) or the SAS session is running with language settings that tells SAS you are in a part of the world where comma is the normal character to use.

Check what format is attached to the variable. For example by running PROC CONTENTS on the dataset.

You can use the NLNUMI format to force SAS to display the values with period for the decimal place and comma as the thousands separators no matter what the language settings are..