Converting Macro Date to yymmn6. format

[danshek]

I have a macro date which I am trying to convert to a yymmn6. format. ie."201707"

It seems simple enough.

%let dte = 07072017;
 %let dte_9 = %sysfunc(inputn(&dte,ddmmyyyyn8.),yymonn7.);
%put &dte_9;
7072017

when I use yymonn7. as the format for the %sysfunc I get "7072017"

But when I change the format to yymmn6. I get Jibberish.

%let dte = 07072017;
%let dte_9 = %sysfunc(inputn(&dte,ddmmyyyyn8.),yymmn6.);
%put &dte_9;
******

Why is the date outputted as * ? What can I do to get the date of "201707" ?

[Astounding]

Have you tried it the easy (but untested) way?

%let dte = 07072017;

%let dte_9 = %substr(&dte, 3, 6);

[danshek]

I tried

%let dte_9 = %substr(&dte,3,6);
%put &dte_9;
072017

Which seems to work, but the date format is "072017".

How would I then transform it to YYYYMM as "201707"?

I tried 

%let dte_10 = %sysfunc(inputn(&dte_9,mmyyn6.),yymonn6.);
%put &dte_10;
72017

But the leading zero is gone and the date format is mYYYY.

[Astounding]

OK, take two pieces of it then:

%let dte = 07072017;

%let dte_9 = %substr(&dte, 5, 4)%substr(&dte, 3, 2);

Just don't add a space before the second instance of %SUBSTR.

[mkeintz · Accepted solution]

First, your input format (ddmmyyyyn8.) is wrong.  The statement

       %let x=%sysfunc(inputn(07072017,ddmmyyyyn8.));

produces the message

     WARNING: Argument 2 to function INPUTN referenced by the %SYSFUNC or %QSYSFUNC macro function is out of range.

So

1. correct the informat to DDMMYY8..
2. correct the output format to YYMMDDN8.
3. Then take only the first 6 resulting characters

%let dte_9=%substr(%sysfunc(inputn(&dte,ddmmyy8.),yymmddn8.),1,6);

%put &=dte_9;

Note that the YYMON format issue an abbreviated month NAME, not month NUMBER.

[danshek]

Thanks mkeintz & Astounding, 

Much appreciated.