Convert datetime16 format to a character

[Gil_]

I have a table where the datetime firld is formats

23Sep18:11:32:00. Which is datetime 16

I need that field to be formatted as a character.

Like this
23Sep18:11:32:00

[PeterClemmensen · Accepted solution]

data test;
informat dt datetime16.;
format dt datetime16.;
dt="23Sep18:11:32:00"dt;
dtChar=put(dt, datetime16.);
run;

[Tom]

Note that formats are instructions for how to convert values into character strings for display purposes.

Sounds like you want to create a new VARIABLE that is character instead of numeric.

data want ;
  set have ;
  length char_date $16 ;
  char_date = put(real_date,datetime16.);
run;

I would highly recommend not using a format that does not display the century for dates. 

Note that there is bug (feature?) of the DATETIME format that makes it not use 4 digit years when use a width of 18. So use a width of 19 instead and add the -L format option or LEFT() function call to remove the leading space.

data want ;
  set have ;
  length char_date $18;
  char_date = put(real_date,datetime19.-L);
run;

[data_null__]

I would recommend it you are converting a SAS date-time to character to use a format that will sort like one of the ISO8601 formats.