Datatype in SAS

[yadaw]

Hello All,

I want to check the data type of a variable within a DATASET. Is there any function to check this?

I meant in other programming like PYTHON, we have type() to check the datatype of variable.

For Example:

DATA test;

        empName = 'Rob'; 

        empSal = 2000; 

        typeOfEmpName = /* need function here that will take empName as an argument and return the type*/

        typeOfEmpSal = /* need function here that will take empSal as an argument and return the type*/

RUN;

Thanks, 

P Yadaw

[Kurt_Bremser · Accepted solution]

VTYPE function.

[yadaw]

Thank you, It returns, C for character and N for numeric datatype.

[Patrick]

Here you go:

DATA test;
  empName = 'Rob';
  empSal = 2000;
  typeOfEmpName = vtype(empName); /* need function here that will take empName as an argument and return the type*/
  typeOfEmpSal = vtype(empSal);   /* need function here that will take empSal as an argument and return the type*/
RUN;
proc print data=test;
run;

The way I normally find functions quickly.

I go to the docu where I've got all functions listed by category like here.

Then I either just search in the browser - for your case here I've just searched with keyword type - or I go to the relevant category and just browse over the descriptions. ...or I know a function name related to what I need, search for this one and then look within the same category if there is something suited.