Convert Exponential value to numeric value in SAS

[PhilipH]

Hi SAS Experts,

I tried the following solution but the problem I discovered is that numbers who arent exponential are converted to something strange as well.
One of the problems might be that my source column/variable is actually of format "number" and the example creates values in format character.

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/19678279/sas-programming-convert-exponential-value-to-numeric-val...

data test;  
  a='3.24456545e-3'; output;  
  a='3.22254e2'; output;  
  a='9.151451'; output;  
  a='0.151451'; output;
run;  

data erg;  
  set test;  
  b=input(a,32.16);  
run; 

Are there other ways how to deal with exponentials that are of format "number" ?

[ballardw · Accepted solution]

Editor's Note: Thanks to @ballardw  and  @Ksharp  for providing examples of different informats that can be used to display the values without exponential notation. I have edited the response to  include them both here.

You don't mention what you may have read to text values but try something like:

data erg;  
  set test;  
  b=input(a,best32.);  
run; 

data erg;  
  set test;  
  b=input(a,e32.);  
run;

[Astounding]

Why do you say there is any issue at all?  What results do you see when you add this statement to the final DATA step:

put a= b=;

[Ksharp]

data test;  
  a='3.24456545e-3'; output;  
  a='3.22254e2'; output;  
  a='9.151451'; output;  
  a='0.151451'; output;
run;  

data erg;  
  set test;  
  b=input(a,e32.);  
run; 

[lopohobby]

perfect