Creating separate Code and Decode variables from a SAS dataset custom formats

[pteranodon]

I'm receiving a SAS dataset with five integer variables (x1-x5) with different custom formats already applied. I also have the formats catalog. I want to create character variables x1_DEC through x5_DEC that contain just the decodes.

I would normally solve this by using

x1_DEC=put(x1, formatA.);

x2_DEC=put(x2, formatB.);

but that requires hardcoding the format names into the program. Is there a way to do this using vformat or some such function so that I can write something like

x1_DEC=put(vformat(x1));

that would dynamically read the currently assigned format?

[Astounding]

If the name of the format is stored in a DATA step variable, use PUTN instead of PUT.

[andreas_lds · Accepted solution]

You can use vvalue to get the formatted value of variable:

x1_Dec = vvalue(x1);